Sasuke's Unhealthy Love
by xxAlex
Summary: Sasuke's one sided love for the stoic Lucine might be more unhealthy than anything, and it makes her wonder if it'll ever end. [Sasuke/OC/Itachi, minor Gaara/OC and Naruto/OC]
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** _ **I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**_

 **(A/N: T** his story is also on QuoteV, uploaded by an anonymous user that is me. )

* * *

 **Uchiha Sasuke**

I watched her as she lazily looked at Iruka while he announced the teams. She didn't seem quite interested judging from the way her eyes were about to close themselves. It's odd how she can be so tired sometimes when she's such a heavy sleeper and always goes to bed early.

Iruka continued listing the teams, "Team 7: Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura-"

Naruto didn't skip a beat and cheered obnoxiously as he waved his arms in the air, while Sakura looked dejected as she mumbled something I didn't bother listening to. _I really hope I don't end up on their team._

"Uchiha Sasuke-" Iruka got interrupted once again, this time by Sakura's cheering and Naruto's sulking. I felt the irritation bubble within me as Iruka said my name, dooming me to a team with an idiot like Naruto and someone as annoying as Sakura. However, my rapidly growing annoyance was immediately quenched as Iruka revealed one last name. "-and Kudozaki Lucine."

I had to consciously stop myself from revealing a pleased grin at the turn of events. _I got Lucine on my team!_ I secretly glanced at her, seeing her in my peripheral vision. Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, she had a frown marring her face, which was slightly concerning. _Isn't she relieved to we got into the same team?_

As Iruka continued disclosing the rest of the teams, I kept my gaze on Lucine. Her pink lips were slightly twisted at the corners, almost resembling a scowl. I wanted to caress her face to soften her features, but kept the impulse controlled as it would be inappropriate to do so in front of everyone in class. While I didn't care, I knew Lucine never liked that, which is why I always kept the physical affection for when we were alone.

"That is all. You can now go have lunch with your team, after that you're going to meet your team leader. Dismissed!" Iruka proclaimed, and everyone hurriedly ran out of the classroom. Except for Lucine, as usual, she sat still and waited till everyone had left, and then silently walked out. She didn't look my once, even if she probably knew that I was looking at her, but I didn't let that discourage me from following her. It was a time for celebration, since we got on the same team as I had hoped and expected. The academy knew we were attached at the hip, and had made a wise decision in letting us be in the same team despite the redundant number of team members.

I followed Lucine all the way to the outside of the academy, and watched her walk for a bit till she reached one of her favorite spots, and sat down on a bench by a tree. There she pulled out a small book from her spacious pocket and started reading, all the while ignoring me despite knowing that I was making my way to her side. I sat down beside her, and much to my frustration she kept ignoring me and continued reading. She always does that when she's upset about something, although it's usually at home where she gets upset.

I decided to try a different approach, and pretended to not notice that she was ignoring me. "Hey," I said lowly. "What are you doing?"

Her face remained blank as she answered calmly but curtly, "What does it look like." Her eyes did not leave the book. I knew she would answer that, but I just wanted to hear her talk to me. I haven't heard her voice since this morning when we ate breakfast. it feels nice hearing her quiet silvery voice, perfect to lull anybody to sleep.

I decided not to respond at that and kept quiet for a while, satisfied with her acknowledgement of my presence. Instead I watched her quietly as she read, watching her eyes go through the words in a rapid pace. The only sound being the slight breeze and the occasional flip of the pages of her book. Till I noticed that the breeze had blown a strand of brown wavy hair out of her side-swept bangs in front of her face, which completely disturbed my previous perfect view of her face, and I felt myself growing rapidly annoyed once again.

Quickly, I reached out to her face and brushed it behind her ear. As usual her hair was soft, and when I decided to keep my hand longer in her hair, I felt the strands run like sil through my fingers. The move I made lead her to finally look up at me and meet my eyes with me. I felt my heart skip a beat as I took in her honey colored eyes who were giving me a blank look, but the intensity and magnitude of her gaze had always been the same regardless of her cold exterior. It had been like that since we were kids.

"You know I don't like it when you touch my hair." She expressed blandly, but then continued reading.

I smirked and then moved closer to her on the bench, our thighs touching, "So anywhere else is fine?" I whispered in her ear.

She shook her head. "Leave me alone, Uchiha. I'm trying to read my book." The way she referred to me as Uchiha was aggravating, she only did that when she was upset with me about or something. Although I couldn't fathom why, it should be a time of happiness, since we got on the same team. _Maybe she's annoyed that I touched her hair?_ I contemplated, but then she looked up at me and I felt my mind go blank instantly. Her face was a couple of inches away from mine. Heat rushed up to my cheeks as I felt her breath on my lower lip, but she just looked at me with the same passive face, unaffected by the proximity. "You're annoying me." After she said that she stood up, packed her book back in her pocked and made to walk away.

But having her close like that was enough to keep wanting more, which made me quickly go after her and grab her wrist. I didn't give her any time to react before I had her pinned to the closest tree. And before she could process the situation I leaned in and kissed her hard.

Just as I was about to wrap my arms around her waist, she harshly pushed me away. It almost made me stumble, but I managed to keep standing upright somehow. "Can you stop doing that already." She said, her voice containing more intensity than usual as she spoke in a louder tone of voice. Encouraged by the reaction I had incited from her, I couldn't resist the genuine small smile on my face.

"Lucine, I love-" She slapped me before I could finish, which I should have expected. Lucine doesn't like me using those words. I kept my gaze down and smirked at her feisty behavior.

"Don't finish that sentence." she spoke coldly, giving me one last push before she moved to walk away. I sighed, frustrated at her cold behavior, but still pleased that I managed to sneak at least one kiss before we were to meet our sensei. Casually, I ran up beside her and wrapped my arm around her waist to pull her close to my side. I heard her sigh, but she didn't pull away or make a comment, instead she just let me hold her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto_

* * *

 **Uchiha Sasuke**

"Me? I'm Hatake Kakashi. I prefer not to share my likes and dislikes with you. Dreams for the future? Never really thought about it. As for my hobbies... I have lots of hobbies." Our new sensei said blandly, not really giving away any information and I felt myself growing annoyed with this man already.

"All we learned was his name." Sakura grumbled, seemingly sharing my sentiment.

"You go next." Kakashi spoke lazily, referring to Naruto

"YOSH!" Naruto started out loud and obnoxious, and I could already feel a headache coming. While I'm ecstatic that Lucine is in my team, Naruto is the last person I wanted to be teammates with. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto, my likes are ramen and my dislikes are waiting 3 minutes for the ramen to cook. My hobbies are eating different types of ramen and comparing them. And my dreams for the future is becoming the Hokage and have everyone acknowledge me! Believe it!"

"Good, next." The sensei nodded curtly, not seeming all that interested before moving on to Sakura.

"My name is Haruno Sakura. And I like... I mean- the person I like..." She giggled and glanced at me. "My hobbies are..." She giggled again while eyeing me, "My dreams for the future are-" She squealed this time with a blush on her face.

I just rolled my eyes mentally, annoyed by her behavior. While I'm not as affectionate with Lucine in public, it should still be obvious for everyone that Lucine is the only one I see, but it seems that has either gone unnoticed or ignored by Sakura.

"And what do you hate?" Kakashi asked Sakura, since she had seemingly forgotten that part.

"NARUTO!" She roared, making Naruto sulk quietly. _That makes more sense_ , I thought.

"Alright, next." Kakashi nodded at me.

I had already decided on how I should introduce myself, and decided to just get it over with. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. There is lots of things that I dislike, and very few things that I do like. And what I have is not a dream, because I'm going to make it happen. I'm going to restore my clan and kill a certain someone." I said the last part seriously, the reminder of that person enough to briefly make my blood boil. Howver, that rush of anger quickly faded away when I noticed Lucine look at me. My heart started beating faster. _I got Lucine's attention_. But the moment didn't last long, as she looked away some seconds later, but the thrill within me remained.

"Alright, now last one." the sensei said with a nod, now gesturing to my love.

Lucine blinked, and spoke monotonously, "My name is Kudozaki Lucine. I don't like or dislike anything. My hobby is cooking. And I don't have a particular dream that extends beyond becoming a formidable kunoichi."

Kakashi blinked once, perhaps feeling puzzled by Lucine's short and rather boring introduction, much like his own. But at least she gave away more information than her name. He gestured to all of us now, as we were finished with introductions. "Alright. You're all unique, with your own ideas. Can't wait to see your abilities."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto_

* * *

 **Uchiha** **Sasuke**

There she sat on the couch as her eyes lazily watched the TV. While she looked uninterested on the exterior, she knew the cooking program had her complete attention captured. Lucine showed passion for very few things, but I knew that cooking and cooking shows are her favorite.

I stood there leaning on the wall as I watched her. _She is so beautiful_. I had swallow down the saliva that had built in my mouth, and I licked my lip as I scanned her body. As it was almost night time, she was wearing her sleeping wear, which usually consisted of a pair of loose pants and a t-shirt, but today she was wearing shorts, which revealed the creamy skin of her legs.

After some minutes of watching her I walked over to her and sat next to her on the couch. I briefly looked at the TV to see what the female chef was cooking now. Today the woman on the cooking show was cooking a more complicated version of oyakudon, and Lucine was watching her every step as she cooked, not wanting to miss anything to see if she could replicate it later. That meant we'd probably have oyakudon for dinner tomorrow. Every morning and evening she cooks something for us both, and her culinary skills have gotten exceptionally good over the years, to the point that any other food I eat pales terribly in comparison to her cooking.

"Lucine." I said softly and wrapped my arm around her shoulder. She didn't move an inch, neither did she remove her eyes from the television screen. Taking advantage of her occupied state, I used my hands and shifted her so that she now sat on my lap.

She tensed, but other than that there was no reaction from her. I smirked and stroked her waist gently. Since she still was determined to watch the program, I wrapped my arms around her from behind and hugged her close to me, so that her back was pressed against my chest. Then I kissed her neck softly, leaving small kisses around the side of her throat and exposed skin that wasn't covered by the collar of her shirt. I felt her tense even more, her fingers dangerously wrapping around my knee, almost as a warning. It just excited me more, and I decided to move my hands a little upwards, now dangerously close to her breast. She seemed to notice what I was going to do, as I felt her about to shift position on my lap. Before she had the opportunity to move I wrapped both of my hands upon her growing chest, squeezing firmly.

She turned around and finally looked at me to meet my eyes with a frown on her face. Her legs were on either side of me as she straddled me. "Sasuke, I will crush the bones of your hands with a hammer and scoop out your eyes with a spoon if you don't stop this second." she said threateningly but quietly, her voice just above a whisper, which gave me pleasant chills down my back.

I just ignored her and nuzzled my face between her breasts, breathing in her sweet fragrance. _I'll never get tired of this smell, like fresh peaches._

She placed her hands on my shoulders and pushed me away roughly. Then she slapped me for the second time that day. "If you do that again you'll get more than a-" I interrupted her by kissing her, shoving my tongue in her mouth this time. She immediately pushed me away again and stood up from my lap. "I see you insist on being unpleasant company." She said with a deathly glare directed at me. I felt the back of my neck and the tips of my ears go warm at thought of what she would do now. But much to my disappointment, she turned away and stomped towards her room, closing the door shut.

I sighed and leaned on the couch, caressing the spot where she just sat with my hand. Lucine's aloofness could be frustrating sometimes, yet I knew that this was just Lucine being shy. She keeps threatening to hurt me if I keep kissing her or touching her, but she has never hurt me beyond a slap.

After turning of the TV, my mind started filled with thoughts of Lucine once again. Her brown hair, falling down to her hips in perfect waves when it was loose, her honey eyes sparkling in the light, her plump luscious lips, and her flawless skin. Especially her legs. While she looked beautiful in anything she wore, she stirred especially intense feeling throughout me whenever she wore revealing clothing. My mind wandered to how she looks when she's clad in a towel.

I licked my lips as I closed my eyes, imagining the sight. Her bathroom is right next to my room, so I made myself a hole in the wall, that's way I'm able to see her when she steps out of the shower in a towel. But unfortunately, she always steps out and in of the shower with a toilet, and she changes clothes in her room, so I've never gotten to see her naked yet. But I will. When I do, I'm going to own every single part of her body. Her heart, soul and body is going to belong to me. I am going to be Lucine's first, and most importantly, her only one.

I just need to give her more time. She just gets shy when I kiss her, or touch her any place she's not used to. Lucine is just shy. That's why she rejects me sometimes. But she still loves me. **_Lucine loves me._**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto_

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| **Uchiha Sasuke** |

It was 4:10 am, and time to wake Lucine. Lucine is a very heavy sleeper, so I'm always the one that ends up waking her. Not that I am complaining. I always wake her up at 6:00 am, but today we had to meet up early for the team training. But I like to come in her room a bit earlier than needed, as it leaves me with such a great opportunity...

As I walked inside her room I saw her sleeping peacefully as she laid on her bed, the duvet seemed to have fallen on the floor since she was uncovered. I sat down on the bed, staring at her face for some minutes. She shows more emotion in her sleep, because there's a relaxed, serene expression on her face. She looked so delicate and magnificent, I couldn't help but start petting her hair, brushing her messy bangs behind her ear. Then I closed my eyes and brought my hand back to my nose to inhale deeply, the scent of her hair stuck to my hand and permitting me to smell her nice peach-scent. It made me groan out loud. _She smells delicious._

The scent of her made me crave more, and I rested my hand on her leg, slowly and gently moving up to her thigh and cupping her butt. I gave it a firm squeeze, and then moved my other hand to her growing breasts. I love it when she sleeps, it gives me the opportunity to do whatever I want with her, which makes me thankful that she's a heavy sleeper. I heard her let out a low sigh when I massaged her thighs gently, which made me almost lose my mind. _I want her so badly._

Effectively but quietly, I crawled on top of her and pressed my lips against hers. Her mouth was slightly parted so it gave my tongue full access to her mouth. Taking advantage of the situation I let myself roam every inch of her mouth, gently pressing her tongue with mine. My hands roamed the rest of her body everywhere, one of my hands now caressing her inner thighs a bit persistently. My fingers found the spot between her legs, and I pulled away briefly to let out a sharp breath. It was warmer than any other part of her body I noted as I let my fingers press against the area, the only thing that was preventing my access was her shorts. I could just pull them off right now.

Excited by that thought, I got careless and pressed to hard against her area, which made her twitch sharply and start fidgeting a bit, which let me know that she was about to wake up.

I sighed in disappointment when my fun had to be cut short. _I was enjoying this_. Before she could wake up, I reluctantly got off her got back to sitting on the side of her bed. The warmth of her most sacred spot still lingered on my fingers as I used that same hand to place on top of her shoulder and gently shake her awake. "It's time to wake up, Lucine."

Letting out a low groan, Lucine slowly opened her eyes and looked at me with tired eyes, "I'm up." She yawned and sat up sleepily, her hair slightly messy after being in bed. _She's so cute_ , I thought with a blush, wanting to resume what I was doing before.

"Did you sleep well?" I asked her and grabbed her hand with mine, rubbing her knuckles with my thumb.

She nodded and lifted her arms to stretched her back. "You have to leave now, I'm going to take a shower." Lucine spoke softly, her voice adorably hoarse after just waking up,

I nodded reluctantly, "I'll make breakfast toady." I offered, despite knowing it could never compare to her breakfast. She looked at me for some seconds, as if she was considering saying no, but then she gave me a small nod as a response. I leaned forwards and kissed her forehead affectionately, letting my lips linger for a split-second more than necessary which made her frown slightly. "Hurry up." I said softly as I looked into her sleepy honey eyes. She gave another nod, and then I got up to leave and walked out of the room.

That's why I like to go to her room some minutes earlier before I wake her. So that I can actually touch her without her slapping me or giving me a hurtful comment. I let out a satisfied, content sigh, and made my way to the kitchen. It was a great way to start the day


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto_

* * *

| **Uchiha Sasuke** |

"Weren't we supposed to not eat breakfast?" Lucine asked nonchalantly. She stabbed her last tomato-slice with her fork, and brought it to her lips. "Kakashi-sensei said that we would puke."

I rested my hand on top of hers and smiled, "My princess has to eat. Breakfast is the most important meal. I'm sure we can handle whatever he throws at us."

Lucine stared at me for some seconds, with a blank expression, holding the fork with the tomato-slice on her lips. She looked confused. But the look made her look adorable. "But what if I actually throw up?"

"Don't worry my love, I'll make sure you won't." I rubbed her knuckles gently, but she slapped my hand way and brought it on top of her lap.

"Don't call me that. And don't call me princess." She demanded flatly while she stood up, with our plates in hand, and walked towards the kitchen.

I sulked a bit and walked after her, "Why not?"

She put the dirty plates in the sink, "Because I am not 'your love', and I am not a princess." She started washing the plates calmly.

While she washed, I went up behind her and wrapped my arms around her, but she didn't move. Instead she just continued doing the dishes as if I wasn't there. I smiled and rested my chin on top of her shoulder while closing my eyes. Her hair tickled my nose and the side of my face, making me nuzzle her tightly. The joy I felt at knowing that she was mine, that she was so close, I could hold her and look at her at any time of the day. Because she's _mine_. _It feels good... just holding her like this_. If we could stay like this forever I would be perfectly content. Having Lucine in my arms is enough for me to be happy.

Or, that was what I thought until a darker thought crossed my mind, remembering the fate that was awaiting me. _Almost happy, that is_. I still have to kill Itachi and avenge my clan, to make him pay for what he did to us. My jaw tightened as I grinded my teeth together at the thought of his betrayal. It had been years since then, but the wound still felt fresh. I will never forgive him for what he's done.

Lucine started talking again, interrupting my musing. "Let go of me, I'm finished, and we'll be late if we don't go now." She pried my arms off her and turned to me, "We were supposed to be there at 5.00 am, and now it's 4.50 am."

"After making us wait like that yesterday, Kakashi will probably late today too, so there's no rush." I reasoned.

"Do you really want to be a shinobi with that attitude? You're so careless." She said nonchalantly, her voice remaining monotonous, but I could sense the seriousness in her words. After placing the last cup back in the cupboard, she walked away while I trailed after her, ignoring the fact that I most likely resembled a lost puppy. "This could be good training for your ambition. Do you want your revenge or not?"

That made me stop walking and I looked at her, contemplating her words. Lucine must have noticed that I had grown quiet as I held her, and figured that I was thinking about _that_.

She didn't look up as she put on her sandals and was already beginning to walk out the door, but she stopped by the doorframe, as if waiting for me to catch up, yet not saying anything. I smiled subtly as I followed after her.

It's always the little things when it comes to her, but what she said now is simply how Lucine shows that she cares. She takes care of me, nags after me when I'm being careless, spars with me during our freetime, and overall pushes me to become stronger so that one day I will be able to accomplish my goal. Almost like a mother... or, a more fitting term, like a _wife_. While she has always been like this, after the massacre she was the first to adapt to the change of lifestyle. She learned how to cook for us, and while it tasted horrible at first, she had now become an expert, and now eating anything else besides her cooking just tastes dull. I don't know why Itachi was merciful and decided to spare her, but if he hadn't, I probably would have spiraled into complete insanity. Lucine keeps me afloat.

She can be cold, and even cruel sometimes. I know Lucine doesn't actually care about much. She shows mild interest in her life as a kunoichi, and I still don't know why she chose to be one. Her indifference can even be puzzling sometimes. When we were seven years old we encountered a semi-dead cat in the forest. It looked like it had been tortured painfully, with parts of its fur pulled from its bones and the legs twisted the wrong way or completely separated from its body. It was seemingly still alive, judging from the way it twitched once in a while and the occasional low mewls of pain it let out. The cat was obviously suffering. 7-year old Lucine blinked once, and didn't hesitate even a second in snapping its neck with her bare hands, and then she kept walking. Looking back on the memory now, it was most likely an act of mercy from her part, putting it out of its misery. Still, I know girls her age wouldn't have acted so nonchalantly like that.

But what matters is that she cares about _me_. She _loves_ me. Like now. Well... I suppose she doesn't _exactly_ love me in the conventional way, but she expresses her appreciation in other ways. When I told her that I would avenge the Uchiha clan, she respected me and has helped me in any way she could. She seems to know how much it means to me, because she was there with me through it all. When it all happened... Lucine has always been there from the start. While it wasn't her clan that was massacred, it was still her new family and she was betrayed as well after Itachi killed them. When I woke up at the hospital after the massacre happened, she sat there next to me, waiting for me to wake up. After that she let me sleep in her bed whenever I had nightmares. She was there supporting me whenever I cried, and she let me cry on her chest for years after. I remember I sometimes pretended to be sadder than I was, just so she would hold me close. If I close my eyes, I can still feel the warmth and love that exuded from her, from the way she ran her fingers through my hair or nuzzled my neck with her face.

Itachi took everything from us. But we have each other. Lucine is all I have left, and I am all that she has left, too.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto_

* * *

| **Uchiha Sasuke** |

It turned out that when we arrived, Kakashi wasn't even there yet, despite arriving two minutes late. Naruto and Sakura were already there, looking tired and worn, as it was so early. It was quiet the entire time we waited for Kakashi to arrive. Even Naruto remained quiet, trying to fight of sleep, while Sakura was staring into space, her eyes unseeing, most likely sleeping with her eyes open. Lucine looked tired, but still awake enough to slap my hands away when I tried to intertwine my fingers with hers.

It took hours before Kakashi arrived as well. "Good morning everyone. Ready for your first day?" he greeted nonchalantly.

"Hey! You're late!" Naruto and Sakura shouted at the same time, now completely alert and awake as they pointed accusing fingers at him.

"Well a black cat crossed my path. So I had to take the long way." I saw Lucine roll her eyes at his stupid excuse, she had obviously grown impatient while waiting for him for so many hours. "Let's get started." He put a clock on a post and pressed the top button. "It's set for noon."

Everyone looked curiously at him and the clock as he showed us three bells. "Your assignment is very simple. You just have to take these bells from me. If you can't get them by noon, you'll go without lunch. You'll be tied to those posts and watch me while I eat your lunch in front of you."

"So that's why..." I whispered. _Thank God I let Lucine eat._ Lucine glanced at me for some seconds, making my heart skip a beat as I looked back, she didn't say anyting but I figured that she probably felt grateful. The moment lasted for mere seconds before she looked back at Kakashi. That was Lucine's way of saying thank you.

Sakura groaned, "He told us not to eat breakfast to make it harder on us." Naruto's and Sakura's stomach growled. "But wait a minute, there's four of us. Why is it only three bells?" she asked, and I frowned in confusion. _I have been wondering about that too._

"Because that way at least one of you will be tied to a post, and that one will be sent back to the academy."

I widened my eyes in surprise as I looked Lucine, she didn't visibly express her surprise, but by the slight raise of her eyebrow I could tell that she wasn't pleased to hear that. _That means that I have to make sure Lucine and I get two of the bells, or else we'd be separated._

"You can use any weapons you want, including shuriken. You will not get the bells if you're not prepared to kill me." He said the last part more ominously. "Ready? Start!"

As soon as he said that, we all separated and hid under bushes or in trees. Or, almost everyone. The idiotic blonde of our team stayed where he was and confronted Kakashi to fight him head on without any strategy. But I didn't have time to care about him, first I had to find Lucine so that we could together make a plan to take the bells. I didn't care if Naruto or Sakura got one, but I knew that if Lucine and I worked together we'd have a better chance of beating Kakashi.

I started looking for her, scanning every place, but she was no where to find, and I had never been the best at detecting chakra signatures. This made me frown, as I felt concern flow through my body. _Where is she?_ I jumped through the trees, deeper in the forest to look for her, until I started to grow suspicious. Lucine had concealed herself too well... _She's not hiding from me is she?_

The thought made me smirk as I felt a thrill of excitement run through me. I licked my lower lip, as multiple possibilities ran through my mind. It was not the most suitable timing, but we still had time before the clock would signalize noon. _If she's_ hiding _from me, then Lucine deserves a punishment._

| **Kudozaki Lucine** |

This was an opportunity for me. If I let Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura get the three bells I'll probably be sent back to the academy and I could create more distance between Sasuke and I. My career as a kunoichi could wait one more year, if it's for the sake of Sasuke's health at least. While I know he's always been... unstable, it seems like he's just getting worse for every year. He clings to me to a point of pure dependency, and that is something that I cannot allow.

I am almost certain that Sasuke could get a bell, maybe not alone, but with some help from Sakura or Naruto, or even both. I am sure Sakura at least is more than willing to assist him if Sasuke were to ask her. Which means that all I have to do now is wait till the alarm rings.

But I have to hide first; or he will find me, probably wanting to 'work together.' It had been a long time since we played hide and seek, and I had never been good at hiding. Yet, if I manage to evade him long enough for him to give up, it would be enough.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

| **Uchiha Sasuke** |

It took me quite some time to find Lucine, she was not anywhere to find. My eyes glanced around every corner, under every bush, behind all trees. Hadn't I been so impatient, I would have been impressed by her obvious improvement in hiding skills. She was never this good at hiding when we played hide and seek when we were children, always saying that it "was rude to hide from people."

Until finally, I found a thin and curly string of brown hair on the ground, had I not been looking for something like that I wouldn't have found it.

That made me widen my eyes in realization, figuring out where she could be hiding. _Of course, why didn't I think of that before._ I smirked in triumph. _I've got you now, Lucine._ Taking four steps backwards, I scrutinized the ground thoroughly, until I found an area on the grass that looked odd and artificial, and I knew that I had won. Quickly, I aimed towards the ground and started forming the handseals to my jutsu. "Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!"

Fire spewed from my mouth and hit the ground harshly, burning the grass on the surface till it was mere ashes. When the fire cleared, it showed a huge crack on the ground, and there, finally, was Lucine. She was laying on her back as she looked up at me with visible surprise and minor annoyance. Part of her clothes were burnt, which exposed the skin of legs. Fortunately, her skin wasn't burnt, I was careful not to hurt her when I did the jutsu. I knew her earth style jutsu quite well, so I knew exactly where she was hiding. I smirked smugly, and licked my lips in anticipation of the punishment. "Found you, Lucine." I said huskily while walking towards her.

All she did was glare at me as she sat up. When I neared her, she slowly backed away warily, "Stay away." She growled, as if sensing what I was about to do to her.

"Why?" I said with a wide grin, fastening my pace until I was right before her, now down on one knee as I leaned close to whisper in her ear, "I'm not going to hurt you, my love. At least not too much."

She backed away and turned around as if she was about to stand up and run, but I quickly grabbed her wrist and pinned her to the ground with me on top of her. Keeping her body pressed to the ground with my own body. "Let go of me." She demanded, struggling under my grasp as she tried to wriggle her arms from my tight grasp on her.

I held her thin wrists with one hand without much effort, I already knew that I was physically stronger than her. "You hid from me. I think you deserve a _punishment_." I said with a innocent smile. While I don't like when she acts out and acts rebellious, I love giving her punishments. It's when she displays most emotions, sometimes pleasure, but mostly fear. Sometimes she cries a little, which always makes me stop. While it happens rarely, I have never liked the sight of her tears.

Her eyes widened in realization, "No... not now." I grabbed a rope I had in my shuriken holder with my free hand and tied it tightly around her wrists. "No. Stop." She tried to sound demanding, but her voice was shaky which made her sound more cute rather than intimidating, it amused me. When the tight was securely tied around her wrists, I pressed my lips against hers, and made her mouth open with my tongue, caressing every inch of her mouth passionately. I groaned at her taste, like sweet peach. She was perfectly still as she reluctantly let me kiss her for a few minutes, which pleased me. When I started craving more, I placed my hand on her thigh. Part of the skin was exposed since I had burnt part of her pants. Lucine inhaled sharply and turned her head to the side to halt the kiss. "Sasuke..." She whispered lowly, her eyes closing tightly, almost silently begging me. That look on her face excited me even more, and made me caress the insides of her thighs. A smirk formed on my lips as I went down her jaw, to her neck, tasting her all the way to her collarbones.

"Say my name again, Lucine." I whispered lustfully as I pulled the collar of her sweater down with my finger, moving my lips down to her upper-chest, planting kisses and love-bites.

"N-no." She took a deep breath and bit her lip, now trying to wriggle away from me. "Stop it!" She bellowed in alarm when she felt me nibble softly on the tops of her bra.

"Hn." I muttered and pulled away to looking down at her fragile body. She looked up at me helplessly, her eyes begging me to stop yet containing a stubborn determination not to break. _She's so small and delicate, completely under my mercy_. I could break her just the way that I want, and she could do is look up at me as helplessly as she is doing now. It's so adorable I feel like I'm going _crazy_. Crazy with her and her lips and her skin and her eyes.

I sighed shakily as I tried to keep my lust under control. Wanting to explore other parts of her body, I leaned down and placed my hands on her knees, firmly spreading her legs apart. She let out a small squeal as I leaned my head down trailed kisses on her thighs, sucking a little and leaving love bites on the exposed parts of her skin. I moaned at the taste of her. Her taste was so damn _addictive_ and _sweet_ , like I couldn't get enough no matter what I did. I bit down hard on her inner thigh and I heard let out a yelp in pain, which made me feel slightly bad, so I licked up the blood as comfort.

I smiled at the cute reaction. She's just too good and innocent. I want to _devour_ her, to have _all_ of her to myself, to be _in_ her, to pry open her skin and just _crawl inside of her_. Now her entire body was trembling underneath me, which made me even more thrilled _Is she excited too? Maybe I should just take it to the next level?_ I pondered.

As if met with this uncontrollable urge, I pulled away from her and then sat up, I grabbed her tied up wrists and hugged her close to me. Now we both sat up, while she sat on my lap, with her legs on either side of me as she straddled me. Her eyes met mine and I could see the fear in her eyes, which made my heart beat up. The indifference that's always shaping her face was now fully gone and replaced with raw, real emotion. _I caused that. She's acting like this because of me_.

Gulping, she hesitantly asked, "W-what are you going to-" I interrupted her by pressing my lips against her, pressing her tighter against me so that she was pressed against my erection. At the feeling of her warm area so deliciously pressed against me made me moan out loud. I felt her form freeze completely in my arms, not moving a single muscle, which made me move my hands to her hips. I started moving her hips so that she was grinding against me, and the feeling of her clothed mound grind against me was enough to make my lose my mind. I couldn't control the moans that left my lips as I felt heat rise up to my cheeks. "Lucine, I- ugh, I love you so much...!" I said between groans, pressing her harder against me.

"No! Please... Stop it. I don't want to... I-I want you to stop!" She was shaking violently now as her voice trembled. "Please, Sasuke... I-I promise not to hide from you again! P-please!"

She had no idea that her pleading was turning me on even more. There was absolutely no way that I could stop now, not when I could feel her so tightly pressed to me, so close that the only thing separating us was our clothes. I don't think I'm able to control myself any longer, even if I wanted to. "I can't stop, Lucine. I'm sorry." I said shakily, looking up at her through hooded lids, not even seeing the panicked look in her eyes. "You're going to become fully mine right now."

About to fully claim what was mine, I moved my hands down to her rear, about to pull her shorts down, until I heard a voice call out to us from behind.

"Stop this right now, Sasuke." The voice said, a dangerous tone in it.

Halting my movements, I furiously looked behind me to see who had dared to interrupt us at this moment. "Can't you see we're- ...Kakashi." I interrupted myself, slightly surprised to see our sensei of all people standing there. There was a blank look on his masked face, but I could sense the anger radiating from him. I felt a bit disoriented now, having completely forgotten that we are in the middle of the forest and that we were supposed to get the bells so we wouldn't be sent back to the academy. How much time has passed?

"Sexual assault is a crime, you could be grave consequences. And she's your teammate. Besides, you're way too young for that." He said and walked up to us.

"Sexual assault?" I frowned, angered by his implication. "I wasn't going to rape her." I would never do that to her, I _love_ her.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, and quipped accusingly, "Then why is she tied up?"

That left me momentarily speechless, not having an answer to that. It was a punishment, but I suppose I went a bit too far. Hesitantly, I let Lucine go, untying the rope from her wrists. She was still shaking violently, her eyes tightly closed while she was still mumbling for me to stop. I widened my eyes, surprised at her state. _So much fear..._ No, she looks absolutely terrified. _Did I make her like this?_ She curled up into a ball and rested her head on her knees, her shoulders shaking as she did. "Lucine." I whispered, not liking to see her like this at all. _Why is she so scared? Did I do something wrong? Did I take it too far?_

Kakashi walked up to us and hooked his hands under her armpits, and then lifted her in to carry in his arms, being as careful as possible. It was if she was a fragile glassdoll that could easily break by the simplest touch of a feather. I tensed at the sight of her like that, not liking to see her curled up in someone else's arms, not even if it was their teacher.

He gave him a cold look. "I know that you live together, and what you do behind closed doors is none of my business. But Lucine was displaying obvious distress while you forced yourself on her. I won't tell anyone of what happened here, but if I catch you doing something like this again, I can promise you that there will be consequences." Then he disappeared in a puff of smoke with Lucine.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

| **Hatake Kakashi** |

As I walked down the forest, I could feel Lucine's body shaking, with her arms so tightly clinging to my neck as if holding on for dear life. She had buried her face in my neck in her fear, breathing heavily, but surprisingly I felt no fear. _Poor girl,_ I thought as I sighed tiredly. _I wonder if this is the first time it has happened, or if Sasuke has already taken her_ _innocence._ Momentarily, I looked up at the sky, wondering why me of all people ended up with such a messed up team. I am the least suited person of dealing with things like this. Maybe Kurenai will be okay if I ask her to add Lucine to her team.

I looked back down at the girl. She was quite small, not very tall and didn't weigh much. Yet her arms looked toned and had the common muscle that a kunoichi of her age should possess. But she had small features, like small hands and small feet, and she looked very delicate, not truly resembling a shinobi. Despite the fact that her face was contorted with fear, when looking closely, she had attractive features and was a pretty little thing. Perhaps not the most beautiful girl, and it was too soon to judge since she was so young, but she exuded some kind mystery and allure to her, something that would surely make her popular to the boys. If she wanted, when she grew older she could excel in honeypot missions, she already had the looks for that.

Realizing it was not the time to think about what kind of kunoichi she would grow to be, he focused on the more important issue at the moment. "Are you alright?" I asked her. The second the words left my mouth, she froze, and pulled her face away from me to look up at me in surprise. I stopped walking and tilted my head to the side in confusion, she looked like she didn't even know I've been carrying her the entire time,

"Why are you holding me?" At first her voice came out weakly, but she changed it to the usual blank, uninterested tone of voice.

"I rescued you from Sasuke. Do you want me to take you home?" I asked her with a friendly smile, trying to seem polite. I wasn't too sure on how to approach this subject, as I didn't have much experience, especially not with kids.

"No. Let go of me." She demanded. I obliged and carefully let her down on the ground again. I noticed just now how part of her clothes were burnt, and she had red bite marks on her neck, thighs, and it seemed to go down her upper chest. Her lips were also very swollen. It was a twisted sight, as it looked like she had simply been with a lover, yet I knew that it was her molester who had done this.

"Does he usually molest you like this?" I asked carefully, now contemplating reporting this to the Hokage. There was little he could do in a situation such as this, as Sasuke was the only remaining Uchiha in the village and was far too indispensable.

She remained quiet for some seconds as she looked at me. I wasn't sure if she looked confused, scared or both. It was difficult to read her almost blank expression. "That's none of your concern, Kakashi-sensei." She opened her mouth to say something else, but then closed it again as if changing her mind. I watched on patiently as she opened her eyes again, determination in her eyes. "But..." she hesitated, a light blush developing on her cheeks. "T-th..."

"What?"

"Tha-thank you." She mumbled, her cheeks and the tops of her ear now a dark shade of red. It seems that she's not used to thanking someone.

With a smile, I ruffled her hair gently, "Don't worry about it."

She seemed confused as to why I was ruffling her hair, but then she suddenly looked down and smirked smugly, "Kakashi-sensei."

Confused at the sudden change of expression, I stared curiously down at her. "Yes?"

Lucine looked up at me with a smirk, "You let your guard down."

It only took me a split second to realize what she meant with that, and in surprise I quickly jumped back a few meters away from her, but it was already too late. She held up her hand, the three bells dangling from her hand mockingly. Thinking that she was in too much shock after her incident with Sasuke, I had assumed that the bells would be the last thing on her mind, but it seems I underestimated her in that regard.

I sighed in defeat, disappointed in myself that I let myself be tricked like that, I should have seen it coming. "Good job, Lucine. You got the bells." _But she still hasn't passed the test_.

She smirked again in triumph, and then turned away from me to walk away while she held up the bells up in the air as if she was teasing me. I sighed in embarrassment as I rubbed the back of my head.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

| **Uchiha Sasuke** |

As I quietly ate my lunch, I couldn't help but think about Lucine's face back in the forest, she truly looked scared. She usually does that when I give her punishments, but that's the point with punishments, right? She needs to learn from them and not rebel again. So there's no need for me to feel bad, right? I tried to reason with myself, but I still felt slightly guilty for some reason.

I looked to my side and towards her. Naruto was sitting next to me, tied to the post, and Sakura next to him, while Lucine sat on the other side of Sakura, so she was as far away from me as possible. She hadn't touched her food once, she hadn't even looked at it. Now a bit concerned, I frowned as I watched her look straight ahead, she looked deep in thought.

 _Why is she in such a bad mood? She should be content since she managed to steal the bells from Kakashi. Although it's technically thanks to me, since I go him to lower his guard._

Naruto's stomach growled interrupted my trail of thoughts, which made everyone look at him. "Heh, don't worry everyone! I'm not hungry at all, I can go days without eating, believe it!" It was a obviously a lie, as his stomach growled again.

Suddenly, Lucine slid her lunchbox towards Naruto. I widened my eyes and stared at her in bewilderment, as did everyone else. "Take it." she said when no one made a move.

"Are you... _you_ giving your lunch to Naruto?" Sakura asked in surprise, her mouth agape. I was just as surprised; Lucine has never shown any hint of kindness to anyone throughout the years we spent in the academy, barely even speaking unless completely necessary. It's understandable to see Sakura having difficulty to process Lucine's suddenly acting out of character.

"Lucine-chan, I didn't know you were so nice." Naruto muttered, obviously feeling touched by her kindness as his eyes welled up with tears.

Lucine looked away, turning her back to us, "Don't misunderstand. I'm only giving it to you because I'm not hungry." Much to my surprise, again, I saw a hint of redness on the tops of her ears. Is she _blushing_? My eyes almost popped out of their sockets. _I have never ever in my life managed to get a single blush from her. So why is she blushing now? ...Is it Naruto that is making her blush?_ I felt fury start to build in the pit of my stomach at the thought, and I glared ferociously at the idiot sitting next to me. He is not worthy of that attention from her.

"Take mine instead." I interjected quickly, and held up the lunchbox towards Naruto. He looked even more shocked that I was offering him my lunchbox, even more than when Lucine did it. "You'll need the strength for when Kakashi comes back." Which was technically true, if Naruto is hungry he'd just get in the way.

"S-Sasuke-kun too?! You can't do that! You'll get in trouble, Kakashi-sensei said we couldn't give Naruto any food!" Sakura whisper-yelled, until she stopped herself, now looking hesitant. Suddenly her green eyes lit up with determination and she held out her lunchbox towards Naruto. "Wait, take mine Naruto. I'm on a diet anyway."

"Sakura-chan..." Naruto sniffed once again getting too emotional. In the end, we all ended up offering our lunch to him.

Sakura was about to feed him, until Kakashi suddenly reappeared in front of us in a flash, startling everyone, "YOU!" Dark grey clouds formed in the skies, and the mood seemed much more ominous than it was seconds ago. "You disobeyed my orders. Ready for your punishment?"

Naruto gulped in fear, but managed to word out hesitantly, "B-but you said-..."

"Yes?" Kakashi urged.

"That there were four of us... and that's why..." Naruto looked at the us for assistance.

I widened my eyes in realization _._ "We're all in this team, and we're all in it together." I defended, now understanding the objective.

Sakura was determined as she added her own input, "Yeah, that's right! The four of us are one!"

Lucine sighed as everyone looked at her, waiting for her to say something in their defense. "There must have been a point in assigning us into a team." she said calmly, but the point remained the same.

"Yeah! Believe it!" Naruto cheered from his spot.

"The four of you are one? That's your excuse?" Kakashi asked nonchalantly, now looking amused. _Was this a trick the entire time?_ Naruto and Sakura frowned, ready for what was coming. He smiled, and without hesitance, he spoke his next words casually, "You pass."

"...Huh?"

"You. Pass." He repeated.

"What do you mean? How do we pass?" Sakura asked, now the one who looked completely bewildered, Naruto mirroring her expression. Lucine had a raised eyebrow, but otherwise she didn't give much of a reaction. I sighed tiredly, feeling disappointed that I didn't immediately understand the objective of this exercise.

Kakashi proceeded to explain, his eye indicating that he was smiling under his mask. "The others fell right into my trap and followed my orders. In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum." He said the last part almost nostalgically, almost as if it wasn't truly his words, but something he had heard from someone else.

Naruto looked like he was going to cry again, "This guy is so cool."

Kakashi held up his thumb and finally declared what we had all wanted to hear, "Team 7 starts their first mission tomorrow!"

"Yay!" Sakura cheered, jumping up and down in joy as she stood up from her seat.

"I did it, I did it! I'm a ninja, NINJA!" Naruto cheered too, from happiness, but couldn't express it to the same degree as Sakura, since he was still tied up.

I looked at Lucine. As expected, she looked didn't look visibly happy, but there was an almost pleased glint to her eyes.

"Come on, let's go home." Kakashi said, turning around to walk away. We all stood up and walked after him, Lucine following silently.

"Hey! Don't leave me behind!" We heard Naruto shout behind us, but no one bothered to go help him.

Content with the results, I stepped up next to Lucine. But when I tried to grab her hand, she swiftly dodged me and sped up her pace, now walking right next to Kakashi who was pretending not to watch the exchange.

Now slightly hurt by her cold behavior, I frowned in disappointment. _She didn't have to walk away from me_. _Why must she be so stubborn?_ I wanted to walk up next to her and try again, but I decided to let her have her way for now, as Kakashi was giving me a warning look. _I'll talk to her when we get home._


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

| **Uchiha Sasuke** |

"Don't. Touch. Me." Lucine growled viciously, giving me her coldest glare, "I swear I'll break your arm." It didn't seem like an empty threat this time, judging by the frigidness of her eyes.

Sighing, I decided to let go of her. "Why are you so cold to me today?"

"Why, you ask?" She repeated, and I could see the disbelief and anger in her honey eyes as she looked into mine, almost as if she couldn't fathom that I had just asked that question. "If you don't know the answer to that question, then you're an idiot." She shook her head and walked out of the kitchen, and I immediately chased after her.

I felt a tugging sensation in my chest as I watched her walk off, "Lucine, wait." I called out after her, but she didn't stop and kept ignoring my calls. Running after her, I grasped her wrist and pinned her to the wall. "Please..." I begged, moving my lips to her ear as I let my hands run down her waist sensually, "I shouldn't have been so forceful. It's just you looked so irresistible, I couldn't control myself."

She placed her hands on my chest and pushed, "Stay away." Although she kept a leveled tone of voice, the fury within her was simmering in her eyes.

Hurt by her rejection, I tried a more different approach. I hugged her to my chest, ignoring her earlier threat, I know she would never hurt me like that. "Lucine." My voice trembled as I said her name, and desperately I tightened my hold on her, nuzzling her neck to get a whiff of her scent. "Please, forgive me. I'm sorry for scaring you."

Harshly, she pushed me away, enough to make me stumble a few steps backwards. "You say you're sorry, but you don't really mean it, do you?" she snarled and pushed me again, her sudden aggression leaving me surprised, "I don't want you to touch me ever again. I hate you, Sasuke. I hate you so much."

I winced at her words and the cruel tone she used on me. My eyes widened at the hatred in her eyes, and I didn't even know what to say in that moment, she has never looked at me that way before. At that moment, it felt like she had just ripped my heart out of my chest, just to throw it on the floor and stomp on it. My hand went up to my chest, right over my heart, as I clutched my shirt tightly. She didn't spare me a second glance as she turned away and walked off.

Turning to her again, I desperately reached out for her wrist with my hand, but it was too late as she was already too far away, it was like she just slipped right through my fingers.

Seconds, minutes, hours passed as I just stood there, leaning against at the wall as I stared at the spot where she stood moments ago. "Lucine." I uttered hoarsely, that was when I realized that a few tears had rolled down my cheeks.

Sighing shakily, I decided to make my way to my room slowly, feeling horribly empty. When I was inside my room I laid down on the bed, facing the ceiling. Despite the despair coursing through my blood, my face remained blank and unfeeling.

 _"I hate you, Sasuke. I hate you so much."_

The words coming to mind back made me close my eyes in attempt to block out the memory, but it was all in vain. It's almost like she had burned those words onto my skin. The raw emotion in her eyes and the icy tone of voice, it all wouldn't go away. Why did fate make him love someone so much if it was going to hurt like this?

Gravely needing to push those harmful thoughts away, I tried thinking of some of the happiest memories I shared with her. The happiest were usually the ones from the time when we were kids.

 _My sobs echoed throughout the room. I was curled into a ball in the corner of the wall, the tears just wouldn't stop. The more I tried to shake off this awful and dreadful feeling, like I was drowning, like someone was choking me and I couldn't breathe, but I just wouldn't die.  
_

 _Even when I heard the door open, I didn't look up. "Sasuke." I heard Lucine's soft silvery voice call out to me, but I didn't answer as I kept crying into my arms. But Lucine kept trying, and when she called out my name again I noticed that she stood right before me. "Sasuke."_

 _"What do you want?" I snapped, but it sounded more like a whine as my voice was hoarse from crying._

 _"Come to bed with me."_

 _I frowned at the sudden request and looked up at her. There was a calm and patient look on her face. For someone who had lost her family mere days ago, she didn't look very upset. But I knew that wasn't the case. Lucine was simply trying to be strong for me, which just made it worse. She couldn't even mourn them, since I was too busy being weak. Itachi took even that from her. I wiped my tears and sniffed, "Why?" I tried to sound more gentle this time, I knew she was trying her best. She even tried to make okonomiyaki today, but she ended up burning it so we had to eat cup ramen instead. Not that it mattered, whatever I eat taste like ashes in my mouth anyway._

 _"Because, I will sing to you."_

 _Normally, I would be overjoyed, as I like to her voice and she very rarely sings even when I beg her too. Her voice is soft and comforting and it makes me feel safe. The feelings reminds me of when my mother used to read my bedtime stories. The reminder of my poor, innocent mother was enough to my eyes well up with tears again and there was a lump in my throat. "Go away, Lucine-chan."_

 _She didn't oblige. Instead she held out her hand to me, clearly expecting me to take it. My frown deepened, and even though I just stared at her, she did not lower her arm even once._

 _"Come on, Sasuke, my arm is getting tired". Much to my surprise, a smile formed on the corner of her lips, and the sight made my breath leave my lungs. I was afraid to even blink, feeling as if I lost sight of that smile even once it would go away. This is the second time I've seen her smile, and this time it's directed at me._

 _As if in a trance, I didn't notice that I was already reaching my hand out to her, I was under her spell and had lost all control of my body. Her smile widened as she grabbed my hand and helped me stand, and then guided me to my bed. We laid down, covering ourselves with the duvet. Lucine wrapped her arms around me and made me rest my head on her chest. I immediately felt at peace when I felt her warmth. I felt safe and comforted, and for a split second, it almost felt like I was in my mother's arms again._

 _When she started petting my hair I naturally closed my eyes and let out a quiet sigh. Hugging her tighter, I buried my face in her neck to inhale the nice scent that clung to her skin._ _Seconds later, I heard Lucine sing a lullaby. Her voice was soothing and soft, and it made my eyes finally give in to the mental exhaustion. (the song she's humming is "Wanderer's Lullaby")_

 _If she was trying to get me to go to sleep, it was working, because as soon she finished her song, I felt myself drift away into a deep sleep._

 _The last thing I felt was a gentle kiss on my cheek and her whispering, "Sweet dreams, Sasuke."_

The memory was from some days after the massacre. It's been a long time since I last heard Lucine sing, and it was also the last time I saw her smile. Never will I forget her smile, the most beautiful smile I had ever seen, and nothing I've ever seen has ever compared to that.

I felt my heart drop to the pit of my stomach, finally realizing how much I had scared her back in the forest. I hurt her and I didn't even apologize. Of course she would hate me after something like that. I felt ashamed at my actions, remembering the way I had no regard for her feelings and just stepped over the line.

"I need to make it up to her." I decided, hoping it wasn't too late. Not wanting to waste another second, I got out off bed and ran out of the room.

Walking down the hallway, I noticed how dark it was outside, so it must have been in the middle of the night. She was most certainly sleeping, but right now that didn't matter. I had to right the damage I had done.

When I got to her room, I took a deep breath and opened the door slowly. As I stepped inside, I looked around. The only source of light was the moonlight that was shining through the window. Lucine laid in her bed with her back to me. Taking a deep breath, I stepped forwards.

| **Kudozaki Lucine** |

Hearing the door open behind me, I already knew it was Sasuke. _He actually came._

"Lucine." I heard him call out carefully, his voice was hoarse, which let me know he had been crying. Hadn't I been so angry at him, I'd almost feel guilty. _He has always been a crybaby._

I heard his footsteps coming closer to the bed, until I felt his presence right behind me. "Are you awake?"

"No." I said in annoyance, but genuinely curious as to what he had come to say.

He sighed shakily. "I need to say something." Not feeling the need to say anything in return, I kept my silence and decided to wait. "Please just listen." I still didn't say anything, which he probably took as a sign to continue. "What happened earlier... I'm truly sorry. I really am. I hurt and scared you, and I shouldn't have done that." I felt him fidget nervously at my silence, as I remained quiet even after his heartfelt apology. "Do you forgive me?" he asked after a few moments of silence, the desperation seeping through, he sounded like he was on the brink of tears again.

Honestly, I'm surprised that he's actually apologizing. _He even sounds genuine._

"Do you forgive me?" He repeated again, sounding like he was about to lose it. I frowned, almost in pity. _He's so pathetic,_ I thought, but couldn't deny the warm feeling in my chest, slightly touched at his apology.

I switched sides, now facing him. He was on his knees, looking directly in my eyes, and I looked right back indifferently. _Maybe, just maybe the old Sasuke is still there, somewhere, deep inside._ Knowing that I had already forgiven him, even before his apology, I felt a bit angry at myself. It seems that I simply can't say no to him, no matter how much of horrible of a person he can be. Maybe if I had been just a bit more harsh with him, maybe then the old Sasuke would come back.

I closed my eyes and moved backwards to the other side of the bed, so that there was more space next to me. It was quiet for a while, and I understood that he hadn't figured out what I was signalizing. Sighing, I closed my eyes and moved the duvet so he could get in beside. I didn't open my eyes to see his reaction, mostly out of pride, knowing he was probably shocked by the action.

It took him some seconds before he got in, which he did rather eagerly, and once he was tucked in beside me, it got quiet again. I opened one eye to look at him, and saw him already looking at me, a fascinated, almost dazed look in his eye. Closing my eyes again, I turned my back to him again, waiting for him to break out of his stupor.

It didn't take long after that before his arms hesitantly wrapped around my waist, he did it so carefully it was as if he was afraid to touch me.

"Just this once." I allowed, which made him tighten his hold on me and now press his back against my chest. I heard him let out a content sigh, his breath tickling the side of my neck.

"Sweet dreams." I murmured under my breath, soon going back to a deep sleep, his hold remaining firmly around me for the rest of the night.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

| **Uchiha Sasuke** |

After we completing all our D-ranked missions, I noticed Naruto glaring intently at me. Although he is always annoying, today he has been acting especially annoying. He has been trying to compete with me on everything today, but failed in everything, as he is clearly incompetent.

After Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke, I saw Sakura running up to me with a bright smile, asking me if I wanted to train. I rudely told her off, even saying that she was weaker than Naruto, which was most likely true and that was saying much. She seemed hurt by my answer if the tears welling up in her eyes was anything to go by, which I didn't really care for as I was too busy watching Naruto who had suddenly approached Lucine.

"Lucine-chan, I was wondering if you wanted to go get ramen with me today at Ichiraku? My treat!" I heard his painfully annoying voice yelp for everyone to hear. Registering the meaning of his words I tensed, feeling my blood gradually start to boil at the implication. _No way. He wouldn't_ dare _._

Naruto was there grinning so innocently as he was almost in Lucine's face. It wasn't that hard for him, since they were about the same height. Seeing him so close to her made my face wrench into a twisted scowl, and I noticed Sakura giving me a weird look. For a second all I saw was red as I struggled to keep my breathing under control. Naruto, perhaps the worst and most annoying person I had ever met, dared to even breathe the same air as _my_ Lucine, yet alone ask her out on a date.

"I don't want to eat at that amateur restaurant." Lucine said with obvious disgust at the mere suggestion, which instantly calmed me down, relieved at her rejection. _Of course_ she would deny him, she knows she is mine. Watching Naruto's grin immediately waver made me grin with sick satisfaction, thrilled to see his hopes be so ruthlessly crushed. But apparently, Lucine wasn't done. "I'll cook instead, my ramen tastes a hundred times better than the crap they serve there."

Every drop of blood in my body went cold.

Naruto immediately exchanged the crestfallen expression with a surprised one as he gasped dramatically, "Better... better than Ichiraku? Even miso ramen with roasted pork fillet?! That's impossible, no way!"

Lucine had never let anyone eat her cooking other than me. Never. And yet she dared to offer to share something that belonged to me alone, with the abomination that is Naruto? Deciding that was the last straw, I harshly brushed past Sakura, kunai in hand ready to dig it into Naruto's throat. I wanted to see him _choke_ on my blade as I stared down at him.

Before I even got to them, a loud, shrill voice made me halt in my tracks. I froze, too focused on Naruto's boldness that I hadn't even noticed the two strangers currently standing mere meters away from Lucine and Naruto. "Hey, midgets! Move, you're blocking the way!"

It was a boy dressed in black with purple paint on his face that had spoken, but there was a girl next to him with blonde hair in four spiky pigtails and blue eyes. They looked like shinobi, judging from the way they were dressed and the large weapons on their back. I frowned, analyzing the situation and trying to identify them. They were from Suna, so what were they doing here?

Sakura, who apparently had been standing next to me the entire time, suddenly spoke up, "There's enough space for you to pass by without us moving."

"Yes, but we want to go through here." The guy said with a supercilious smirk. I noticed the girl behind him sigh tediously, not seeming remotely interested in neither stopping or joining her companion. The male eyed Naruto and Lucine thoroughly, looking them up and down. "You really are short. I hate short midgets like you." He walked up to Lucine, immediately making me tense and made me tighten the grip around my kunai. "Even though this one is almost adorable. What's your name, cutie?" Lucine just stared at him blankly, not seeming like she was gonna answer his question anytime soon. "Look at you, playing dress up. You think that you can become a real shinobi with that face? You look like a doll that could shatter at any moment." Suddenly he grabbed her collar and pulled her up, her feet now hovering over the ground. "Annoying." he sighed, "It'll be such a waste to kill you, you could have been a cute pet."

"Let her go now!" I growled and already had my kunai aimed at his head, but before anyone could as much as blink, the boy had a kunai dug into his arm, and it wasn't mine. He hissed out in pain and gripped his wounded arm, in the process dropping Lucine so that she landed soundlessly on her feet.

The guy stumbled some step backwards as his female companion looked shocked at the sudden turn of events. Quickly taking advantage of the moment, I grabbed Lucine's hand and pulled her to my side, "Lucine, are you alright?" I asked with true concern.

Lucine didn't answer, instead she kept her gaze on the wounded guy who she had just attacked with her kunai. Hadn't I been so used to her speed, I wouldn't have even see her pull out the kunai and stab him. Speed had always been her forte, since she was so small and had a delicate build, she usually relied on speed, flexibility and agility instead of raw, brute strength. Since she couldn't rely too much on her chakra reserves, as they weren't naturally vast, she had to find another way to make up for it.

My chest warmed with pride, she had managed to defend herself without my help, and she did so swimmingly. I heard Sakura and Naruto let out awed sounds from behind us.

"I-I'll kill you...!" the now wounded guy said through gritted teeth, the anger in his eyes now looking more malicious than before. It was obvious he had gone from teasing to serious. I protectively gripped Lucine's wrist again once I saw his hand behind his back to reach for whatever was tied on his back and unwrap it from its bandages.

"Are you going to use Karasu?!" the girl who hadn't spoke until now asked with disbelief. She didn't look like she was going to stop him since she just sighed and shook her head, "Whatever. I'm not taking responsibility for your mess."

It was deathly quiet as the guy kept unwrapping the object, although he never even got halfway, as a dark, ominous voice halted every movement in the vicinity. "Kankuro, stop."

Taken by surprise by the sudden voice, I quickly looked up to where it had come from. Only to see a guy about our age hanging upside down from a tree, attached to a tree with chakra. He had red hair and the kanji for 'love' on his forehead. For some reason, just looking at him gave me cold chills down my spine. The aura exuding from him was sinister and gave off a malevolent feeling, it was almost demonic. _I didn't even sense his chakra there._

"G-Gaara..." The wounded guy, now known as gasped, freezing completely as he looked up at the redhead. If I had been unnerved by his presence, Kankuro looked completely terrified, and had frozen completely in place. The blonde female was no better off, as she stared petrified at the redhead.

"Why do you think we came all the way to Konoha?" The newcomer asked coldly, his eyes even colder, in fact... everything about him just seemed _cold_. "You're a disgrace to the village."

"L-listen, these guys started it and-" Kankuro started defending himself with obvious fear in his voice, but the redhead didn't let him finish.

"Shut up. I'll kill you." He threatened nonchalantly, and if the frigidity of his eyes were anything to go by, it was definitely not an empty threat.

 _He just threatened to kill his own teammate in front of us, he cannot be normal_ Instinctively, I gripped Lucine's hand tighter and looked down at her. She didn't look visibly shaken by his presence, as we had both concealed our discomfort, but I saw her briefly look up at me. That was all the confirmation I needed to know that she too had sensed the dangerous aura.

"I was at fault. I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry." Kankuro apologized sincerely. If anything, it seemed like he was apologizing to his teammate instead of us.

"Excuse my siblings, you guys." The redhead said monotonously, moving his gaze to us again. I noticed how his gaze lingered for a second too long on Lucine, which made me grit my teeth together tightly. _Why is he looking at her?_ Defensively, I tried to pull on Lucine's wrist to move her behind me, which she reluctantly allowed. It was not the time to argue now.

The redhead, much to everyone's surprise, suddenly morphed into sand and landed on the ground next to his teammates, turning back to his original form. "Let's go. We didn't come here to fool around."

"Yeah..." the Kankuro murmurred, wincing suddenly as he held his wounded arm where Lucine's kunai was still sticking out. Despite his obvious pain, they all turned around to walk off.

"Wait." Lucine suddenly jumped in, stepping up from behind me and surprising everyone present. I frowned, almost wanting to yank her back to my side, but already knowing that would not end well. At her interruption, the three Suna ninja stopped and looked over their shoulder. Lucine tilted her head to the side as she eyed Kankuro blankly, and then said blankly, "Give me back my kunai."

I sighed tiredly. _Only Lucine._

Kankuro looked taken aback by the request, and he briefly looked at his redheaded teammate as if asking for his permission, and when he nodded, Kankuro reluctantly pulled out the kunai, hissing at the pain, and handed it back to her. "Brat..." he murmured under his breath as he held the injury to prevent the blood from gushing out.

As Lucine strapped the kunai back into her kunai pouch, after very casually wiping away the blood on her sleeve, she turned back to me and was about to walk away.

"What's your name?" That same cold voice called out from behind her, stopping Lucine in her tracks. I frowned in both annoyance and concern as I gave the redhead a wary look. _This could never be a good thing._

Turning around again, Lucine looked back at the redhead with an equally aloof face as his, and without hesitation she gave her name, "Kudozaki Lucine."

The redhead stared for her for a long time, there was a lustful look in his eyes... most probably of blood lust, or in this case: Lucine's blood.

"And yours?" I asked through gritted teeth, considering the pros and cons of engaging in open combat right now. _This guy is dangerous... and he's targeted Lucine. If he tries anything I'll rip him to shreds._

He gave me a blank look, seemingly not intending to give me a reply. And just when I thought he was never going to answer, "Sabaku no Gaara."


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto_

* * *

| **Uchiha Sasuke** |

Her movements were fast and precise, moving with the grace and finesse that only someone with her experience could perform. And despite the wonderful display, I could sadly not fully enjoy watching her cook because of my rampant thoughts surrounding a certain redhead. _Sabaku no Gaara._

We hadn't seen him since then, but we will most probably meet him again in the chunin exams that are coming up. _I definitely don't have a good feeling about this. That sick, depraved look in his eye of pure blood lust. He will definitely hurt her if he gets his hands on her._ Just imagining Lucine's blood being spilled was enough to make my breath hitch, and impulsively I shot up from my seat and nearly tackled Lucine to the floor. Instead I desperately wrapped my arms around her waist from behind and nuzzled my nose in her peach-scented hair.

The action made her stop moving, obviously startled by my sudden burst of affection. Lucine didn't speak, but neither did she attempt to push me away. Her lack of reaction made me assume that she waited for me to say something to explain myself.

"Never leave my side, alright?" I whispered in her ear. I realized that the way I said it made it seem like a demand, which it technically was, but I wanted her full compliance.

Lucine didn't respond, as I expected, but she did however continue chopping the fresh vegetables and doing her cooking, as if I wasn't even holding her.

"Do I have a choice?" she suddenly asked, her voice a low hum.

Smiling at the response, I hugged her tighter and kissed her neck softly. She already knew what my answer would be but I gave it anyway, "No."

She sighed tiredly as she reached for another tomato. "Let go of me, and then I might consider staying voluntarily."

Immediately, I let go of her and taking a few steps back for good measure. "Really?" I asked hopefully. _Having Lucine stay by my side and comply to all my wishes..._ A sick grin spread across my face at the thought of all the things I would make her do, not caring that I was taking her words out of proportion.

"Hm." she hummed, not giving me a real answer much to my disappointment, but the fact that she might consider it was enough for me at the moment. "Go to your room and I'll call you when I'm done. You're disturbing me, and cooking requires concentration, patience and my full attention." she ordered, before completely focusing on her task at hand and fully expecting me to oblige with her command.

Pouting at her cold treatment, I half-heartedly walked out of the kitchen, mostly because I knew for a fact that if I complied with her wishes now, she would be more responsive later on during the evening. Sometimes she'd even let me give her a shoulder or a foot massage.

However, in a bout of rebellion, I decided to go into Lucine's room instead of mine.

A dark shadow of a smirk hovered over my face as I scanned the tidiness of her room, my objective being her closet. Walking up to it, I opened the bottom drawer, as I already knew it to be her underwear drawer. I picked out one of my favorite pairs that she owned, the pink ones with a matching bra. I brought the bottom part up to my nose and inhaled deeply. As always, it smelled like peaches, Lucine's signature scent. Taking another long sniff, almost inhaling the thing, I let out a hazed sigh, my eyes clouding over as if I was entering a high.

 _So damn addictive, it's like I can never get enough._ She is like a drug. _My_ drug.

Instead of putting the pair back into the drawer I stored it safely into my pocket, as I knew I needed something to distract myself while I waited for Lucine to finish cooking. _I will just borrow this for a while. T_ he smell of her had caused a bit of a commotion down in my pants, and it naturally needed to be taken care of.

Pleased with my newly acquired treasure, I stood up in order to walk out of Lucine's room, until something caught my eye. By the window, in the far corner of the room, there was something on the floor. I walked closer to the spot in order to investigate, and from the distance it looked like, dust?

Bending down, I inspected it thoroughly with my eyes. _That's odd. Lucine always keeps her room disturbingly clean and tidy, if there's any mess she'll go on a rampage._ And it was quite the big amount of dust too, a whole pile of it. Still, something doesn't add up.

Running my finger through the dust, I brought it back up and rubbed the grains between my index fingers. I widened my eyes in realization at the feel of the texture, as this was clearly not mere dust, but ... _sand._


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

| **Uchiha Sasuke** |

It was dark. That much I could tell, but that was all. I was unable to make out where I was, and everything felt fuzzy. It felt like I was floating on a big cloud of darkness, but it wasn't by any means relaxing. In fact it was suffocating me, like someone was constricting my lungs and it kept me from breathing properly. _Where am I?_

Suddenly, my surroundings changed, I found myself in... a forest? It was a very poorly illuminated forest, and all the trees looked black in color. Although it was dark, I could only make out the shape of the trees and the path on the ground that lead to God knows where. There was one thing that stood out though... Blood was splattered on all the trees. Every single one of them were not left untouched by the red substance. And the blood looked fresh, as if it someone had bleed all over the forest seconds ago.

I don't know what happened here, but looking at the blood made my stomach twist and turn, which already was odd on its own. Blood has never made me squeamish. _Unless it was..._ My heart started beating unsteadily, already denying that thought. _Whose blood is it?_

Deciding to find out what happened here, I followed the trail of blood that was coating the path in between the trees. The deeper I went in the forest, the constricting feeling in my chest grew tighter, and it was almost tempting to just turn around and run the other way. But that would be the cowardly way, so I kept walking despite every single cell in my body screaming at me not to keep going.

As soon as I arrived at my destination, I already regretted it. **No..**. No way.

My eyes widened, and everything in my body suddenly went numb as I lost all feeling. "L-Lu...cin..." I croaked shakily, as I collapsed on my knees. It was as if my soul left my body as I just stared helplessly at the sight, wanting to scream but being unable to.

There on the ground, was the lifeless body of Lucine. Her body was twisted into an unnatural position with her fingers bending the wrong way. There was a large gap in her chest where her heart was supposed to be. But there was no heart to there, as it laid on her side, cold and as lifeless as the rest of her. Her hair was spread around her like a halo, it almost made her look beautiful in a sick, twisted way. But perhaps the worst part was her lovely honey eyes, as they had been gouged out and unlike her severed heart, they were nowhere to be found.

Slowly and shakily I crawled over to her on my hands and knees with great difficulty. I was almost too scared to cradle her body in my arms. Her painfully pale skin was ice cold to the touch, and it was the worst feeling I have ever experienced. "No, please... p-please...! Oh God, no, I-I... Please... I can't live without you!" I begged silently, breathing uncontrollably as I watched her face wrought into a pained expression. The tears had already begun rolling down my cheeks, and I let out an anguished scream, now weeping into her shoulder as I desperately clung onto her.

Nothing mattered anymore. Absolutely nothing. _If Lucine is gone, then what's even the point of me anymore?_ I limply let her cold corpse slip from my grasp as my eyes fell on the kunai that had suddenly materialized in my hand. I gripped it tightly and aimed it at my chest, looking at the blank metal with a cold sort of detachment. _If Lucine is gone, there is no point to anything anymore. Not Konoha, not Itachi, not even my life._

"Weak." I heard an empty voice speak, breaking the silence of the dark forest and interrupting my train of thought.

I looked up from the kunai, and there in front of me stood Sabaku no Gaara, looking down at me with cold, calculating eyes. There was blood on his face and hands, though for some reason I just knew it wasn't his blood.

Suddenly, all I could see was red, and I was blinded by rage, "YOU! YOU DID THIS!" I roared with ferocious rage.

All he did was stare at me with an uninterested gaze, as if this situation only bored him which just fueled my fury. I let out another anguished cry, overcome with unadulterated despair.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" I got up and sprinted towards him, killing him the only thing on my mind, the only that I desperately needed. He killed-... He killed my-!

Before I could land a single blow on him, he had disappeared into thin air just like that. I quickly looked around in a crazed desperation, "WHERE ARE YOU?! COME OUT AND FIGHT ME, YOU COWARD-"

"Foolish little brother."

That voice. I would recognize it anywhere, no matter where. I froze where I stood, a cold shiver run down my back. That voice could only mean...

Slowly, I turned around facing my brother. He stood there so nonchalantly. Dressed in the same clothes he wore when he massacred our entire clan, with the blood still splattered all over his clothes. Lucine's corpse was nowhere in sight, with only the puddle of blood left. "Where is she, Itachi?" I growled through gritted teeth, hating the way my voice broke at the end. I already felt the tears coming back _. Lucine..._

"Does it matter? She's already dead." He said with a cruel smirk. I visibly winced at the reminder, closing my eyes to take in a hitched breath, but Itachi wasn't done. "You'll never see her again. And it's all **your fault**."

"You're wrong!" I snarled, denying it with all my being. "That's not true! IT'S NOT MY FAULT!"

"You're weak." He said, looking at me with disgust, "You were not strong enough to protect her."

I sobbed pathetically as I collapsed onto my knees, not even strong enough to keep myself from crying in front of him.

"You are weak because you lack hate. You are just as weak as you were back then."

With those last words, he disappeared into thin air just like Gaara had seconds ago, and I was left sobbing on the ground hysterically screaming Lucine's name.

 _I was not strong enough to protect her... and now she's gone forever... I'm weak... weak... **weak**._

* * *

"NO!" I howled as I shot up from bed, "Lucine?!" I called out again, fully alert. I looked around wildly, scanning my surroundings just to see I was in my room. "What...? A dream?"

A cold shiver ran down my back. No... It felt too real. Lucine was... I widened my eyes in realization as I felt my heart to a flip. "Lucine!"

As if the devil himself was on my heels, I sprinted out of my room and down the hallway, making my way to her room. With no regard to anything else I kicked the door open, but when I looked around her room it was empty. I felt my blood turn to ice under my skin at the helplessness I felt at seeing her unoccupied bed. "Lucine! Where are you?!" I cried, running out of the room and to the kitchen.

There, to my most immense relief, she was. She stood by the table while holding a plate of onigiri. When she noticed me, she placed the plate on the table and faced me, "Ah, Sasuke. I was just about to-"

I interrupted her by grabbing her forearms, and crushing my lips against hers, the force of the impact so great we both went tumbling to the floor with me landing on top of her. I could tell by her frozen state that she was surprised by the sudden bold movement, but I still did not pull away from the kiss. My hands found their way under her shirt, roaming up her stomach, touching every inch of skin I could get my hands on. She was _warm_ , and she was _alive_ , oh God how good it felt to have her alive. I will **never** take it for granted again.

Before it could go any further, she seemed to process the situation and I was suddenly harshly kicked away.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She growled, a dangerous tone to her voice but it was mostly filled with confusion. She stood up, now towering over me with a frowning, confused expression.

Even though the kick had hurt, I still sighed in relief. _It was only a dream.._. Lucine is still alive and well, being her usual self. _She is not dead,_ I kept repeating in my head like a mantra, eyeing her pretty brown hair and divine honey eyes as if seeing her for the first time.

"I love you." The words had already left my mouth before I had even realized that I had said them. "I love you so much."

She stared at me for a few seconds in bewilderment. Then she just shook her head and sighed, "You're mad."


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

| **Kudozaki Lucine** |

The harsh kick in my stomach made me violently cough up blood before I collapsed on my knees.

I looked up at my three opponents, which were all smirking smugly. I had kept the fight going for a while, but I had known it for a while. In fact, I had known it since their arrival. _I'm clearly losing this fight._ The fight with that snake bastard had already taken too much from me. And in the end it was for nothing anyway, as all my teammates are unconscious.

Glancing at the unconscious body of Sakura on the ground made me frown in frustration, disappointed at my failure at even keeping her safe.

I tried getting up on my feet again, holding up a hand to the bleeding injury on my abdomen that was already gushing out an alarming amount of blood, and Kin's punch had not helped. If I don't do anything quick, we will all die like this. Stealing a quick glance at my other two unconscious teammates, I looked back at the girl with the long hair that had just kicked me in the stomach, and had even made Sakura chop off her _hair_. Kin was her name, I believed.

 _I'm in deep shit._ I closed my eyes in irritation as I tried of thinking of ways to save us.

"Are you giving up, little girl?" The guy with the wild, spiky hair mocked me. I think they called him Zaku some moments ago. I only gave him the same blank look that always seemed to annoy him since he got here, which made him glare at me. Even if I died here, I would never let myself be weak in front of these people.

 _All I can do now is fight them with taijutsu till my last breath,_ I decided, knowing it was the worst plan I've ever made but also the only one I had. With a low hiss in pain, I got into position, ignoring the stabbing pain throughout my entire body as I waited for either of them to make a move.

"Still fighting I see, stubborn brat." Zaku scoffed, and suddenly, he just disappeared from his spot. I tightened my fist, preparing myself to whatever he was going to do. In less than a second, he was in front of me, about to kick me in the face, but I ducked just in time, kicking his legs under him so that he tripped. He didn't seem to expect me to do that, so he almost fell face first into the ground. I took that opportunity to land another kick, but before I could even lift my leg, I sensed Dosu from behind me, trying to land a punch on me, I quickly did a cartwheel, dodging him in the process.

But as soon as my feet hit the ground, an intense pain in my ear made let out a low gasp and collapse to the ground. I had to bite my lip to hold back a groan. _But how? I definitely dodged him_. I looked up at the Dosu-guy, who was standing some meters away from me, while Zaku stood next to him glaring furiously at me.

"You may be able to dodge my blows, but you can't get away from it." I heard Dosu explain, holding up his hand to show me that metal object he had attached to his arm. I tried to get up, but every move I made only made the pain in my ear intensify. _Shit_. I cursed mentally, biting my lips so hard I could taste blood in order to prevent myself from screaming. It hurts so much I can't even move, and I could feel my vision getting fuzzy. I knew I had lost way too much blood, but if I don't get up now then... Sasuke... and also Naruto and Sakura...

With a cry, I tried to use my arms to push myself into a standing position, every movement feeling like needles under my skin. Tears welled up in my eyes out of reflex as I tried to bear through the pain.

"You just won't give up, will you?" I heard Zaku say from above me. I didn't get any time to fully stand before I received a hard kick in the head, and then it all went black and I was swallowed by an oasis of darkness. _You're on your own, Sasuke._

* * *

| **Uchiha Sasuke** |

 _Pain._

 _It felt like I've been living in an eternity of pain and that I've never felt anything else throughout my life. The pain was unbearable. Every inch of my body felt like it was on fire, but I felt like it was mostly concentrated in my neck_.

 _"S-Sasuke..." a low, soft voice called out my name._

Wait, that sounds like...

 _"Sasuke!" There it went again. I widened my eyes as I recognized the feminine voice._

Lucine!

 _Ignoring the pain the best I could I tried to stand up, "Lu-Lucine where are you?" I croaked, even talking felt like I was being split in half._

" _Sasuke, save me!" she yelped, her voice cracking at he end as if she was crying._

Lucine is in danger! _That was enough to make me completely get up on my feet, the excruciating agony completely ignored as I sprinted towards the direction her voice was coming from. "H-Hold on Lucine, I-I'm coming!" my legs shook as I ran, I had to grit my teeth together so that I wouldn't scream out._

 _When I at last found her, I saw her held up in the air by her throat, by none other than... Itachi. "Let her go, bastard!" I growled dangerously, holding my neck while trying my best to ignore the burn._

 _Itachi looked at my pathetic form with disgust, "Foolish little brother, why don't you come save her yourself."_

 _As if that line triggered something inside of me, the strain doubled its amount and this time I was unable to even stand. I let out an deafening ear-splitting scream, not able to hold it back anymore. Tears welled up in my eyes as due to pain and the hopelessness I felt at the situation._

C-come... on... move... I need to save Lucine... she needs me...

 _"Help." Lucine whimpered, gasping for breath when Itachi's hold on her neck tightened._

 _"Lucine." I breathed, reaching out my hand to her, trying to reach her but to no avail. She gave me a betrayed look, as if she was disappointed by my own weakness, which made her close her eyes in resignation, accepting her fate. My heart felt like it stopped beating at the look on her face, like she had lost all faith in me. Soon her struggling had ceased, and she now hung limply in Itachi's grip. "No..."_

 _"Pitiful." Itachi shook his head, "You're so weak, you don't have the power to stop me."_

I'm weak... I'm not strong enough... _I closed my eyes, the despair felt even more crippling than the excruciating sting from my neck. Lucine has always been bound to die because I have never possessed the power to keep her safe._

 _ **I can give you power, Sasuke-kun.**_

 _My eyes widened at the sly voice coming from my head._ Whose voice was that? _I looked up, and when I did, Itachi and Lucine where nowhere in sight. Instead, a pair of yellow eyes were staring down at me. Those eyes look familiar... It's the eyes of that snake-woman-man from the forest. Orochimaru._

 _ **I can give you all the power you need.**_

 _His voice was sly and had a slight hiss as he spoke, almost like a snake. I frowned in confusion, "How?"_

 _ **If you come to me, I'll give you all the power you need to protect your Lucine-kun ...And defeat your brother.**_

 _I looked at the ground beneath my palms, truly thinking about his words. If what he said is true, Lucine will never be in danger and I will finally get revenge for Itachi slaughtering my clan. It could solve everything, Lucine would be safe._

 _With newfound strength, I used the rest of my strength to push myself upwards, the pain no longer there. "Power." I repeated. "Give it to me. Give me the power."_

 _A mouth formed under the eyes, and it was shaped into a large, smug smirk, and now he definitely resembled a snake._

* * *

The first thing I felt as soon as I opened my eyes was the thrum of energy simmering under my skin. _Power. I could feel it,_ and it felt incredible. I slowly stood up, grinning widely. It feels like I'm capable of anything, that I could defeat anyone in my way, I was _invincible_. I let out a laugh. It sounded sick and maniacal, filled with unadulterated glee. "So much... power..." I breathed deeply. There was a dark purple chakra spiraling around me as a testament of my new change. If only Lucine could see me now, she would be so proud. _Never_ again would she be hurt.

Now remembering the reason to why wanting this power in the fist place, I looked around, searching for my love. It was only now I noticed how I was still in the Forest of Death. There were also three unfamiliar faces staring at me in surprise, but that was all meaningless information as I caught sight of something that made my heart completely stop in my chest.

Behind the three strangers laid a small figure. A small very familiar figure that laid in a puddle of her own blood. And she was not moving.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

 **Uzumaki Naruto**

There was a distant voice calling out for me. But I was just so tired to care, I just wanted to rest for once. I kept my eyes shut and tried my best to ignore it. Though it became increasingly more challenging to ignore when I felt the annoyance grip my shoulders and try to shake me awake. "Wake up, Naruto!"

Giving in, I opened my eyes. The first thing my eyes laid sight upon were some big roots, seemingly belonging to a tree, and that was when I realized I definitely wasn't in my room.

In confusion, I scanned my foreign surroundings. I was underneath a huge tree, and surprisingly, next to me sat Sakura. "Sakura-chan?" Looking more closely, she had bruises all over her body, and her left eye was swollen. But what really stood out was her hair. It was cut short and was really messy. I let out a gasp, "Sakura-chan! Your hair!"

She widened her eyes in pure fear, and shook her head rapidly. "Shh! He'll hear you!"

Once again, I was confused, this time by her strange behavior. I decided to voice my wonders, "What happened?"

It was only now that I noticed that she was shaking, and she was gritting her teeth as if she was cold.. or more precisely, scared. Her eyes were wide with fright. She looked mortified. "I-I don't know..." her voice shook as she spoke, "But we need to g-get out of h-here now. I woke you up for that, you need to help me, I-I don't know what to do!" By now there were tears running down her cheeks.

That was when it all came back to me. All the previous events that happened before I fell unconscious. The snake. The snake that tried to kill us. Lucine. Sasuke. Which reminds me...

"Sakura-chan, where is Sasuke and Lucine?"

She hesitated, as if she wasn't sure of the answer herself, and then, without saying a word, she lifted a shaky finger and pointed towards the opening of the tree roots.

Frowning, I got up from my position and crawled out of the tree, only to immediately regret it.

The open field before me was splattered with blood and human parts. One would think a massacre had just transpired here, and a very malevolent one. The smell was nearly unbearable; it smelt like burnt flesh. The three corpses on the ground was the source of it all, and they were all so horribly deformed that if they had been my very own teammates there would be no way for me to know.

I gagged, quickly covering my mouth to keep the puke down.

One of the corpses didn't even have its head attached. While the body closest to the decapitated one, was dismembered and looked like it had been chopped into pieces. The worst one was the one who was closest to me. Not only was it turned from the inside out, with all its insides surrounding it like some sick art project, but it was burnt to a crisp.

"What-... what the hell..." I gasped shakily. However, the nightmare was not over.

Further way was another body that was badly damaged, but not to the point of being unrecognizable, in fact I immediately recognized her. My blood went cold as I could feel myself panicking.

Quickly I stumbled up to my feet and sprinted towards her. "Lucine!" I cried helplessly.

"Naruto, no!" I heard Sakura screech from behind me, but I didn't hesitate.

I collapsed down by her side, quickly wrapping my arms around her to pull her up to my chest. She looked downright _horrible_. Her body was damaged with several bleeding cuts, and her face that was normally so flawless and smooth was now bruised; her cheek and eye completely swollen.

 _Is... is she?_

My breath hitched. The fact that she could be dead hit me harder than I thought it would. I didn't know Lucine that well. Before she became my teammate, I had only spoken to her a few times during the academy, and that was barely a few words. I've always thought that she was weird, the way her face always lacked emotion, and the way that Sasuke was almost always around her like some kind of parasite. But now after she became my teammate, I got to know her, and I learned that Lucine is actually... king. Perhaps not the typical kind, like Iruka-sensei. But that kind of subtle warmth that she so rarely shares, the kind that leaves you wanting more.

"Please, please wake up..." I begged, my voice cracking, as if I was about to cry. I buried my nose in the crook of her neck, "You said- you said you'd make me ramen."

"Na-Naruto." I heard a weak croak. I quickly pulled away and looked into her now opened honey colored eyes.

"Lucine?" I said in disbelief.

Her eyes fought to stay open, closing and reopening several times, till she finally managed to look up at me, with that same blank look despite the situation. I couldn't help but let out a startled, relieved laugh. "I almost died, but you still think about ramen. That's cold, Naruto."

I was relieved by her answer, knowing she was alive and back to her old self despite being physically damaged. In the spur of the moment I couldn't help but bury my nose back in her neck and hug her tightly. _Peach..._ she smells exactly like peach.

 **Kudozaki Lucine**

I tensed at the feel of his tight hug. Never have I liked physical contact, so I felt uncomfortable in his arms. Though, it felt weird to be in someone else's arms, touched by someone that isn't Sasuke. It was very different, since Naruto was so warm in comparison to Sasuke, who was always so cold. Matter of fact, where is he?

I pulled away, pushing Naruto by his shoulders, and looked into his azure eyes. "Naruto, where is Sasuke?"

His eyes suddenly widened, "I-... I don't know." he answered honestly, which made me sigh. Maybe he's still unconscious? But what about the shinobi from Otogakure?

We both stood up, me having a little more trouble as my whole body ached. Naruto offered to help me, but I just shook my head. I scanned my surroundings, trying to locate him. If Naruto's awake, then Sasuke must be too.

The first thing that I noticed was that the field was way, _way_ bloodier now. In fact, my blood was already drowned out by others' blood. There laid three corpses on the ground that were in such bad shape that it even made my stomach turn, but somehow I could still make them out to be the Sound ninja that i fought.

 _Whoa_.

Whoever they fought must have been powerful, sadistic and in a terrible mood. My expression didn't change as I looked their hideous appearance over. But where is Sasuke then?

"Lucine." I heard someone hiss my name from behind me.

Naruto and I both spun around in surprise. What I saw made me gasp openly. _What..._ Naruto froze up next to me, letting out a gasp as well.

"Sasuke?" I questioned, not sure if I wanted to believe it was him. I took in his new appearance.

His Sharingan eyes were gazing into my honey colored ones. But what truly stood out was his skin. It was covered with black marks, all coming from the mark on his neck. His hands were soaked with blood, and there was blood splattered on his clothes and face. Overall, he looked _diabolical_.

I stared at his neck with genuine concern building up in my abdomen. It must be the mark that has transformed him. The mark he got from Orochimaru when he bit into him. _What the hell did he do to Sasuke?_


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

| **Kudozaki Lucine** |

"Sasuke." I whispered, my voice laced with shock. I felt something foreign clench in my heart while seeing him like that, and I was surprised to discover that it actually pained me to see him in this condition.

I made a move to walk up to him, but Naruto was gripping my wrist, pulling me back to him. I looked at him with an arched eyebrow, but he only shook his head warily.

"Lucine." Sasuke hissed out my name again, a crazed grin marring his face as he eyed me with a sick look. "Those three Sound ninja that hurt you, _I_ killed them," he said proudly, his grin only widening. Seeing the three corpses, I already had the slightest suspicion that he'd do something like that, but I didn't believe him capable to be so... brutal about killing them. I felt Naruto's grip on my wrist tighten, which let me know that he was thinking the same thing. "I did it for you, Lucine. Are you proud of me?" The way he spoke, it was if he was wishing for me to praise him for what he's done.

"No, Sasuke." I started, almost a bit hesitantly, but keeping my voice firm. "It's the mark that's influencing you and feeding you with-" I stopped for split second, as I wasn't quite sure what the mark on his neck did, "-with something dark. You need to resist it."

Sasuke's smirk disappeared as he looked down at his hands in fascination, almost a dazed look in his eyes. When he looked up again there was a gleeful smirk spreading on his lips again. "Resist? How can I resist power? I am _invincible._ "

I heard Naruto let out a low gasp behind me, obviously taken off guard by Sasuke's temporary loss of sanity.

In frustration, I sighed. Sasuke isn't listening to me, he's too blinded by this supposed "power," as he calls it.

| **Uchiha Sasuke** |

The sight of her body was enough to make my entire body heat up with lust. Large part of her clothes had been severed, which made her shirt fall down her shoulders and letting me see the major part of her chest bindings, and almost the entirety of both her legs were exposed. The desire was simply too much. So much of her skin was exposed, begging to be touched. But still _not enough_. My gaze lingered on her breasts. What greatly irritated me was that I couldn't see all of her, the damned bandages were in the way.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Sasuke!" Naruto cried out from next to her, but it felt like mere background noise to me.

My attention was solely focused on Lucine. Only her. "Lucine, come here." I demanded, reaching out my hand to her expectantly.

Naruto moved the grip he had on her wrist upwards, till he was now holding her arm by the elbow. The sight made me the anger start simmering within me as I glared darkly at him. "Let go of her. _Now_." I ordered with a frigid voice, my eyes now focused on him. If he tries to stop me, I will not hesitate to separate his head from his shoulders.

"Lucine, we need to get out of here." he whispered in to her ear, but I heard it clearly. Not letting a single second pass, I ran up to him with blinding speed, gripping his throat tightly, taking them both by surprise and forcing him to let go of Lucine.

I watched as his body writhed within my tight grasp as he desperately gasped for air. I grinned widely in satisfaction, he was only getting what was coming for him after all. I was enjoying watching him struggle and choke, trying so urgently to cling to his pathetic life. I was about to tighten my grip, to twist his neck till it snapped and till he was nothing but a limp, lifeless corpse in my hand, but someone placed a small, delicate hand on my arm. I quickly snapped my eyes at the person who dared interrupt me. Only to see no one but my love. She stood there by my side with perhaps the saddest expression I've seen on her face throughout all the years I've known her.

Her gaze was twisted with sorrow, almost begging... my Lucine who has always looked so strong, for a second now she resembled a wounded kitten. I felt my breath catch in my throat as my grasp on Naruto loosened. _Why was she looking at me like that?_ The frantic beat of my heart was audible to my own ears, and for a moment I was lost on what to do. _How_ can she look at me like that?

Completely forgetting Naruto I let go of him, which him fall to the ground with a thump. My attention was too enraptured by the creature beside me that I didn't even hear his frantic gasping for air.

"Lucine..." I spoke lowly, barely above a whisper as I turned towards her. I gulped hesitantly as I felt pinned to the spot by the dejected look on her face, "I-I'm sorry- I..." I apologized, not knowing what for but just wanting her to stop giving me that look just cut through every bone in my body, more than any blade could. "Please, I'm sorry!"

She shook her head with a saddened sigh, "Stop it." she said blankly, but her voice cracked slightly at the end. Quickly, I wrapped my arms around her to hold her to me, burying my nose in her neck to breathe her in.

"I'm sorry." I repeated again frantically as I felt her warmth. I felt the fog that was clogging my mind dissipate for every second I was wrapped around her, all my senses filled with her. As the fog cleared up, the black marks that was spread around my body retreated back to the mark on my neck. My eyes were closed but I knew that the Sharingan was deactivated, and soon enough, I was back to normal again. No longer did I feel the power coursing through my veins. I sighed, suddenly overcome with exhaustion and a slight sense of disorientation, but Lucine wrapped her arms around me and held me in place.

I felt confused about what had just transpired, not knowing that I was capable of killing like that, but at the moment I was far too occupied by the feel of Lucine holding me to her so tightly for the first time in so long. I held her even tighter, and she did not pull away for a long moment, just letting me hold her as long as I wished.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

| **Kudozaki Lucine** |

One would think that after going through so much in the forest we would be able to go home, or at least get a break. Instead I am forced to sit here in a crowded room, my clothes all torn up with the rusted smell of blood still clinging to my skin.

It was not my appearance nor smell that bothered me though. That redhead that I had met before the exams was staring at me from the other side of the room, which was truthfully a bit unsettling. It was as if he wanted to eat me, literally _eat_ me.

I sighed as I closed my eyes. _This entire situation is annoying._

And Sasuke was not making the situation much better. He was sitting way too close, his arms wrapped securely around me, one could say that I was practically sitting on his lap. He is being very affectionate, which is rather strange since we're in public. When other people are around, he almost never makes any physical contact since I told him not, but it appears that after the little stunt I pulled in the Forest of Death, that rule has been nullified. It had been rather out of character for me to cling to him like that, but at the moment it had felt like the only right thing to do. Seeing him act so... monstrously, was one thing that I wouldn't like to repeat.

Even so, I did not feel comfortable with him running his fingers through my scalp and hair, undoing all the tangles and knots. His uncharacteristic affection made us earn some weird looks from our old classmates from the academy, even Sakura remained quiet. However, she hadn't spoken a single word to Sasuke ever since the events in the forest. She was after all the only one who witnessed Sasuke's grotesque mini massacre, so she is probably still wary of him.

Tired from all the staring we were receiving, I finally spoke out. "Let me go." I said monotonously.

All I got from him was even less space and him nuzzling my neck with his nose, his bangs tickling my throat slightly. Sighing in irritation, I nudged him away with my elbow and stood up, resisting the urge to wince at the strain it up on the still healing wound on my leg. "I'm going to the bathroom." I informed blankly, before proceeded to do just that.

I heard Sasuke stand up behind me, about to follow me, I assumed. "I'll come with-"

"No." I said firmly, leaving no room for argument. He didn't look to happy with that, but he after the glare I sent his way he kept his mouth shut and sat back down.

Quickly I made my way out of the crowded room and into the grey hallway, allowing me to finally breathe freely. It was so quiet here compared to the room I just left, and for every corner I turned I felt more relaxed. Finally I arrived to the bathroom. I entered and locked the door behind me. When I saw my terrible reflection staring back at me I almost flinched. "Way to go, Lucine. You got your ass kicked." I whispered to the girl in the mirror, watching the way she glared back at me.

 _I am still so very weak._

My clothes were really torn up, thanks to Zaku's decapitating airwaves. My right eye and cheek were so swollen I almost looked deformed, and all the exposed parts of my skin was littered in numerous cuts and bruises. The only deep wound on my body was the bandaged injury on my right calf, which still hurt but at least I could walk on it. My ribcage felt worse, and I knew that at least two of them must be severely damaged, if not broken. A blue, huge bruise was formed there and I knew that was the first thing I'd fix after the preliminaries.

Grabbing some towels, I moistened them with water from the sink and added a bit soap. Then I started wiping away the dirt and dried blood from my skin. When clean enough, I ripped away the last of my shirt, leaving me in my chest bindings. I was revealing way too much skin, which left me feeling vulnerable so I used bandage to cover up more of my abdomen and hide the bruises on my ribcage.

When decent enough, I moved my attention to my hair that had dried blood in it. Some of the blood made chunks of my hair cling together, which disgusted me, but at the moment I felt too lazy to do anything with it. In resignation, I pulled out a kunai and held it to my hair, about to chop it all off.

 _"Your hair is so soft and lovely, you should keep it long."_

The voice that echoed in my head made me freeze as my blood turned cold. _I can't believe his words still has this effect on me. Even after what he did._

I shook my head and strapped the kunai back to my thigh in annoyance. _How childish._

In the end I decided to let my way too long hair loose, trying my best to wash off all the blood. When finished, I exited the bathroom, deeming myself decent-looking since the unbearable blood scent was gone. I glanced up at the clock on the other side of the wall. _I've been gone a long while, I better hurry back since it's starting in 5 minutes._

While walking with a fast pace, I did not make it long past the hallway until I was halted by this sudden tug on my ankle. The feeling on my ankle felt odd and dry, and to some extent it was almost soothing in sick, unsettling sort of way... the texture reminded me of... sand? In a split second the feeling had spread up to my knee, and now it felt as if someone was running their hand up my leg. When I looked down I saw sand shaped as some kind of large hand moving up my thigh.

"What the..." It spread quickly and now the sand was wrapped around my whole leg and was about to creep up my hips. Only when I felt it tighten, did I understand its intention. Swiftly, I jumped away, mere seconds away from having every bone in my leg mashed to pieces.

 _The sand tried to crush my leg_ , I thought in disbelief, my guard up immediately. I watched the sand retreating backwards towards a figure that stood on the other side of the hallway.

I blinked in wonder, not expecting him to actually approach me.

Gaara tiled his head to the side curiously as he looked at me. "You escaped my sand." he stated blankly, which made me frown, not understanding why he'd point out something so obvious. I didn't respond, choosing look at him with a calculating gaze. _Did he come here to fight me?_

"What do you want?" I asked nonchalantly, standing upright from my crouched position.

His face remained emotionless as he walked up to me, taking slow but decisive steps as they echoed throughout the empty hallway. When he was in front of me, the look in his eyes changed back to that I-want-to-eat-you vibe. Surprisingly, he reached out to grab a lock of my hair. "What I want..." he repeated silently to himself. He pulled on my hair, forcing me to take a few steps closer to him, which made me glare at him. He then spoke in a low, threatening voice which almost gave me shivers, "I want to see the walls forever stained by your blood. I want to hear your screams of absolute, anguished terror. I want the floors showered by your intestines. I want many things from you. But, most of all..." he moved his face closer to mine, his eyes briefly glancing down at my lips before meeting my eyes again, "I want you."

I eyed him impassively, completely unfazed by his disturbing, detailed description of what he wanted to do to me. _What a weird guy_. "How cute. I'm truly flattered." I spoke sarcastically, "But, perhaps another time, because right now I would appreciate it if you let go of my-"

His lips were pressed against mine before I could finish my sentence.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

 _ **Sabaku no Gaara**_

When she managed to jump away from my sand, I was almost surprised, but then again not really. Shikaku seemed to be holding back on her for some reason.

Lucine looked at me with her expression mirroring mine, just making me more curious about her. I've never seen a girl like her before. _What is she thinking?_ The curiosity was daunting.

"You escaped my sand." I stated curiously, urging her to give me some kind of explanation to why she was so special, to why my sand held back on her. Unfortunately, I didn't get the answer I wished for as she didn't respond.

She stood up from her crouched position, "What do you want?" There was indifference in her voice, as if this whole conversation bored her. The thought didn't sit well with me for some reason, so I decided to answer her question truthfully. I did follow her with one specific motive in mind after all, and I fully intend to get what I came for.

I walked up to where she stood and gazed down at her small form. Strangely enough, she didn't look like a shinobi. While she did have a toned body with some noticeable muscles, she simply looked too fragile and innocent, too incapable of truly harming anyone or anything. The cold, apathetic look in her eyes was a stark contrast to the rest of her body. I'm sure if she stood completely still, she could almost pass for a human-sized porcelain doll. But I knew better, I had seen her speed when she stabbed my brother in the arm without any hint of hesitation, which showed that she was a capable kunoichi, or at least to some degree. Her appearance is truly deceiving.

Her honey-colored eyes looked into mine patiently as she waited for my answer. Having her so close brought an odd, foreign feeling in my chest, making me frown in curiosity, not understanding what it meant. Overcome with the urge to touch her, I decided to do just that and grabbed a lock of her wavy hair. It felt soft to the touch, and slightly humid as if it had been recently washed.

As I spoke, I let my gaze wander down to her lips which looked even more tempting up close, "What I want..." I repeated silently while unconsciously pulling on her hair, forcing her to step closer to me. Every inch of my body was screaming at me to grab her close, to take her and, and... I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do, but I knew that this girl was _mine_. Which could only mean one thing.

Obviously, I want her dead. Why I wanted her death so desperately was what I didn't understand just yet. "I want to see the walls forever stained by your blood. I want to hear your screams of absolute anguished terror. I want the floors showered by your intestines. I want many things from you." I described how I would like to kill her, imagining it in vivid detail in my mind. But at the same time, not even thinking about her death felt even slightly satisfying. There was something else. I have a strange urge, something I've never experienced before.

I want to feel her lips. I want to... just, _feel_ her. "But most of all..." I continued, feeling like I've reached a new discovery. The thought of her death is pleasing, but the thought of her body against mine overpowers all other desires. "I want you."

She seemed amused now, if anything. "How cute. I'm truly flattered." she deadpanned, and I was too distracted by the movement of her lips to truly process what she was saying. I had dreamt of those lips since the moment I saw them, and it was in truth the reason why I had decided to follow her. I had seen couples on the street lock lips several times, but I never understood the purpose, as it just seemed weird and disgusting. Now, I felt the frantic need to do just that. To taste her, to bite her, to intertwine her tongue with mine. The beast within me was growling impatiently, and I felt my eyes narrow at the impulsive to.. to... "But, perhaps another time, because right now I would appreciate it if you let go of my-"

I didn't let her finish as I was unable to hold back anymore, I captured her lips with mine. The moment I felt her lips, I felt complete satisfaction, and what was very close to pure _bliss_. It made me wonder why I had waited so long to do this in the first place. The hectic beat of my heart was odd and unfamiliar, it felt like some kind of rush, and I could already feel an addiction developing. _Is this what it feels like to do drugs?_

She froze at my touch and didn't respond, but she didn't push me away at first. I let out a moan through the kiss, and it just felt natural to slip my tongue between her lips and capture hers. At that she harshly pulled me away and broke the lip-lock. She lifted her arm seemingly about to slap me, but my sand instinctively caught her wrist and pinned her to the wall. She narrowed her eyes, "What are you-"

She didn't get to finish as I claimed her lips once again. She struggled in my grasp and bit my lip hard, which made a rush of blood flow down past my abdomen. Wanting to taste her again, I held her jaw in my hand and pried her mouth open again with my tongue.

She tastes like peach, like her scent. She's _delicious_. I've never liked that fruit in particular, but with her it could very well be the best thing I've ever tasted. _If this is what's it like to have her, then no wonder the Uchiha is so fond of her._

After a while, she stopped struggling, as if realizing that there was no way out of my sand's grasp, this time Shikaku didn't hold back and had her firmly pinned to the wall. I heard him purring pleasantly, his feelings mirroring mine. How could one person be so addictive? I wondered as I roamed her mouth, sucking on her tongue and lips, feeling an undying need to taste all of her. However, I ran out of air and had to pull back, breathing heavily as I looked down at her with wicked eyes.

She looked up at me with calm fury storming in her eyes. Her lips were red and swollen, and the sight was almost just as pleasing as the kiss had been. It was like I had left my own personal mark on her, a proof that she belonged to me. _Mate_ , I heard Shikaku whisper in the back of my mind, and my eyes widened in realization. The word described her perfectly. Lucine was my _mate._

"Are you done?" she asked through gritted teeth.

Her anger was bemusing, so I decided to voice my confusion. "Why are you angry? You must be used to this by now."

She caught on quickly to what I meant, judging from the way her body froze up again and her complexion paled, yet her expression remained indifferent. "Let go of me. Now." She snapped firmly, and by the tone of her voice it sounded like a threat.

Though I don't like people ordering me around, I decided to comply, for some unknown reason. The sand retreated back to my gourd as I stepped away from her and gave her space. She didn't hesitate for a second as she stomped away, not looking back once.

My gaze followed her back curiously as I watched her angrily make her way down the hallway, which once again left me surprised by the odd feeling overwhelming my chest. Is this what "cute" looks like? I have heard Temari use the word a few times, but had never understood the meaning until now. The word seems to fit Lucine perfectly right now.

I closed my eyes as I took in a deep breath. It's already decided. From the second I first saw her, our fates had been sealed together. "You are mine, Lucine."


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

 **Kudozaki Lucine**

I nearly ran down the hall, desperate to get away from the crazy guy. _Why does this keep happening to me?_ I wondered in annoyance. I already have Sasuke to deal with, and now this guy too? He's not even from my village.

I looked up at the clock that was on the wall as I passed by.

I'm pretty late now, the preliminaries has probably already started. When I finally made it back, I saw everyone's eyes glued to the arena. _So it has begun_. I also noticed that Sasuke was nowhere around, and that Gaara was already there which just weirded me out, since I left the hallway before him, yet he made it back first.

Naruto noticed me walking up from behind, and he turned around to grin at me, "Ah, Lucine-chan, you're late! Sasuke is already down there fighting with this Yoroi-dude. He's totally getting his ass handed to him, believe it!"

I simply hummed, amused by his description as I walked up next to him. I watched the sight occurring on the field before me, I sighed in disappointment. The sight was not pretty. Yoroi, as Naruto called him, was on top of Sasuke, pressing his palm against his forehead. Looking more closely, it was as if he was sucking out Sasuke's chakra.

If this keeps going, he will be forced to rely on the seal on his neck that feeds him dark chakra, just like in the forest. A repeat of that occurrence so soon would be unfavorable right now.

Sasuke stood up shakily, as he looked up at the audience, right up at me. His eyes looked desperately up at me, begging me for something I wouldn't give. It looked like he was in so much pain judging from his twisted expression and the way his body shook, I almost felt sorry for him.

Instead of shouting something encouraging or even sending him a smile, I shook my head in disappointment and looked away, completely unimpressed. As if this entire fight was a waste of time and I couldn't wait for it to be over.

It was harsh, but I knew exactly how Sasuke would react to that. Just some seconds later, I heard him growl out loudly, "Get off!"

When I looked back at the arena, I saw Sasuke sitting up shakily, Yoroi several feet away from him. From the looks of it, Sasuke managed to kick him off. I smirked mentally, _Just as I expected._

Yoroi stood up, "You still had some strength left?" he asked almost mockingly. "Relax, I'll end this quickly."

 _Don't be so sure about that,_ I thought as I saw the determined look in Sasuke's eyes.

 ** _[ Insert Sasuke vs Yoroi fight (from Naruto episode 39) here ]_**

"I will stop this match now. The winner of the first match is Uchiha Sasuke, this means he passes the preliminary round." the proctor informed nonchalantly, which made me smirk.

Naruto cheered loudly, "Yes! Way too go!" He almost made me deaf, since he was standing so close to me, yet I shared his sentiment. I felt proud of him, Sasuke had won even in the state he was in. Sakura gave no other sign that she was happy other than a sighed in relief, but her shoulders were still pretty tense. Even though that event in the forest made her wary f Sasuke, it was obvious that a part of her still cared. I tilted my head to side as I watched her curiously. _I wonder if she still has that ridiculous crush on him. Poor girl doesn't know any better._

In the corner of my eye, I saw that Gaara was staring calculatingly at Sasuke. He had probably underestimated him, and is now surprised over his abilities. I felt my chest swell with minor pride at that, as I had known from the beginning that Sasuke has always been strong.

I moved my gaze back to Sasuke and noticed how he was wobbling from side to side, unable to even stand properly. Even though he had won, he ended up in a pretty bad shape, and as a result, Naruto mocked him for this, "Hey, Sasuke! You won, but in such an uncool way! You look like you were the one who got beat up!"

Sasuke didn't say anything back, probably too tired to talk. When I noticed that he was going to fall backwards, I quickly disappeared in a small cloud of smoke, and reappeared behind him, catching him in my arms.

He tensed up in surprise, but relaxed immediately when he noticed that it was me. "Lucine." he breathed, panting heavily, "Why did you take so long to come back from the bathroom?"

I decided to ignore his question, knowing that if I told him of what had really happened nothing good would come of it. Sasuke has always been quite jealous. Not the cute kind, but the warped and unhealthy kind . Briefly, I remembered how he once locked me up in his room when we were children for talking to a boy in the academy. He didn't let me out until the next morning.

I quickly shook that unpleasant memory away and turned back to the situation at hand, "You did well, Sasuke. I'm proud of you."

When his eyes met mine, I saw how he immediately brightened up at the praise, his onyx eyes lighting up, "I-"

I held a finger up to his lips and shook my head, indicating that I wanted him to relax. Judging from the way he looked, he must be exhausted. After the events in the Forest of Death and this fight, I'm surprised he still hasn't fainted due to exhaustion.

Of course, he obliged and relaxed in my arms while entwining his left hand with mine and nuzzling his nose in my neck. Something in my chest warmed at the action, the same warmth I used to feel all the time when we were kids, and Sasuke was just a bit more sane. I let my fingers run through his hair, which made him close his eyes.

 _I've been more affectionate with him these days. It must be because I'm worried about the mark on his neck._ At the mention of said mark, I decided to take advantage of the position, so I tilted my head to side to get a better view and scanned his neck more closely. It hadn't changed much since I last looked at it. It was still black, with three tomoes. Perhaps what was the most alarming was the dark energy seeping out of it.

 _This mark, I have a very bad feeling about this. It needs to be removed or sealed, somehow. But I have no idea how to do that._

As if someone just read my thoughts, Kakashi-sensei appeared next to me in a cloud of smoke. His eyes met mine for a second, which made me notice that he was confused, or worried.

 _He saw the mark, too._

Kakashi-sensei walked up to us, and bent down close to Sasuke. "Okay, up you go. You're coming with me." In annoyance, said boy opened his eyes and was about to snap something back, clearly not wishing to be disturbed, but Kakashi-sensei interrupted him before he could say anything. In a low voice only loud enough for us to hear he spoke, "We need to seal that curse mark."

* * *

 _ **[**_ _ **A/N**_ _:_ _I won't write Lucine's preliminary fight, because honestly it's not essential for the story. Whether she passed or not can be left to your imagination._ _ **]**_


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

 **Kudozaki Lucine**

 _"What do you want?" I asked nonchalantly, standing upright from my crouched position._

 _His face remained emotionless as he walked up to me, taking slow but decisive steps as they echoed throughout the empty hallway. When he was in front of me, the look in his eyes changed back to that I-want-to-eat-you vibe. Surprisingly, he reached out to grab a lock of my hair. "What I want..." he repeated silently to himself. He pulled on my hair, forcing me to take a few steps closer to him, which made me glare at him. He then spoke in a low, threatening voice which almost gave me shivers, "I want to see the walls forever stained by your blood. I want to hear your screams of absolute, anguished terror. I want the floors showered by your intestines. I want many things from you. But, most of all..." he moved his face closer to mine, his eyes briefly glancing down at my lips before meeting my eyes again, "I want you."_

The chilling tone of his voice made me wake up from the dream, or rather; flashback. I frowned and looked around the dark, cold room.

It's been one week since the preliminaries. We got one month to prepare ourselves for the last part of the chunin exams. Which means that in three weeks I'll have to see that redhead again. Gaara. There is something about his piercing stare and cold voice that makes one realize that you can't mess with this guy. However, I do believe that this problem could easily be solved. Something in his past must have triggered his strange behavior. I just need to find out what.

To make matters worse, I'm all alone now. Sasuke left not too long ago, to train with Kakashi. Sometimes he returns late at night and leaves early in the morning before I wake up, so I haven't seen him. He is not home now though, I can't feel his presence, and it's already 2:17 am.

As if someone just read my thoughts, the doors of my window suddenly bursted open, a strong wing blowing my hair back. Quickly I snapped my gaze to the windows, surprised by the sudden, random occurrence. The curtains danced violently with the wind through my now open window.

My eyebrow furrowed in suspicion. This can't possibly be a coincidence. It's the middle of the night, and my locked windows just randomly opened by itself. Which means; someone from the outside opened it forcefully.

Swiftly, I grabbed the kunai that was under my pillow and stood up from bed. Taking slow steps, I walked towards my open window, preparing for any surprise attacks. When I stood in front of my window and looked for any possible threats, I, strangely enough, found none. All I saw the darkness of the night, the light from the moon being the only source of light that contributed to illuminate the several buildings of Konoha.

"Lucine." I heard a dark, cold voice mutter behind me. Calmly, I turned around and looked up at my "visitor".

Of course, I should have known. Before me stood none other than the guy that had been in my mind for quite some time; Gaara. He looked down at me, scrutinizing me from head to toe. For a split second, I felt slightly naked under his gaze. I only had a short nightgown on, and it didn't exactly cover much.

I flicked the kunai in my hand with my finger, now balancing it on my finger. "Gaara-san." I greeted, tranquilly walking back to my bed and sat down. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

His eyes moved to the kunai in my hand, watching me as I flicked it back and forth skillfully with one hand. Then his eyes met mine again, his eyes flickering with what I think was amusement. "The pleasure is mine." he spoke lowly, just above a whisper.

I crossed my legs and met his just as blank gaze head on, our eye-lock lasting for quite some time. "Aren't you tired, Gaara-san? It's rather late." I asked him, trying to give him the hint to leave; not that I thought he would listen _._

"I don't sleep." he answered without hesitation, but offered no explanation to his statement. I raised a brow in curiosity, but didn't question it.

Seeing that he told me that valuable information, I decided to get my plan in action. Putting my kunai to the side, and moving sideways, I patted the seat next to me on the bed, but didn't say a word. I wanted him to sit next to me. It's risky, considering what happened last time we were that close, but it's a risk I'd have to take. If he wanted to something, he would have tried something already.

He understood my gesture and sat down next to me without complaint, farther away than I expected; he actually kept a respectful distance between us. His eyes were looking deeply into mine again, but he didn't say a word. After a minute, I understood that he had no intention to start a conversation and that we could be like this the whole night if I don't say anything."You came here for a reason." I started, "Will you be so kind and start talking so I can resume my sleeping?" I kept my voice bitter, to see how he would react.

"I came to see you." he stated honestly without any hesitation or any hint of embarrassment. His choice of words are amusing, I thought. That's something Sasuke would say. However, his tone didn't hold any hint of romance. He spoke as if it was the most obvious and normal reason to why someone would burst through a stranger's window and enter their room, uninvited and in the middle of the night.

"Ah, right, you came to see me." I repeated. "Now that you've seen me, what are you going to do?"

He didn't give me a reply and just kept silent. For every second that passed, I could feel my annoyance rise and the little of patience I had with this guy kept shrinking. I was about to speak up again, but then decided not to. Instead I waited. Clearly, he wasn't going to talk, so I won't keep insisting. His teal eyes scrutinized me once again, moving from my eyes and downwards, eyeing every inch of me, lingering for some seconds later on certain parts. Funny how he finds no shame in ogling me so carefully when I'm right in front of him.

Only when he raised his arm and reached out for me was when I stiffened. Even so, I waited for his next move without moving back. What is he trying to do? I wondered, his hand inches away from my face.

He cupped my cheek with his hand, caressing it gently. His movements were stiff, and his blank look made it look sort of awkward. "I want to have you." he said, and moved closer to me. "But I want to kill you too."

His words didn't faze me in the slightest, "You're lying." I claimed.

His eyes tightened, and he moved his face dangerously close to mine, so close that I could feel his breath on my lips. "What?" he growled.

"If you really wanted me, or wanted to kill me, you would've done something by now. We're alone in my bedroom, the only weapon I have within my reach is a kunai. I'm completely vulnerable, yet you haven't made a single move other than caressing my face."

I shook my head, almost in disappointment.

He gritted his teeth and gripped both of my wrists, "What makes you think that I'm not simply taking my time?"

"Just get on with it then. I'm at your mercy." I was speaking rather confidently, not at all considering the consequences.

Quickly he pinned me to the bed, his form pressing against my body while his hands wrapped around my throat. His piercing eyes glared into mine, thousands of emotions running through those teal eyes. Although his lips were inches away from mine and our noses were almost touching, he wasn't making any other move other than glaring at me. He was silent, and he didn't say a word, as if he was arguing with himself mentally.

I blinked, and spoke blankly, "What a surprise, you're not doing anything." Taking this chance, I lifted my head and pressed my lips against the corner of his lips. He stiffened at my action, not expecting it at all. This was a first. I've never made a move to kiss anyone before. Well, except for him. "You know what I think, Gaara?" I asked mockingly and leaned into his ear, whispering slowly, "You're just a misunderstood, lost puppy in desperate need for affection. My affection. But you're confusing your blood lust with your desire for love." As I spoke that last word, I poked his forehead-tattoo. "That's why you're conflicted right now. You don't want to kill me, because you want me to love you. How pathetic."

His eyes widened, and his jaw went agape, his whole body had gone rigid. Judging from his reaction, my assumptions were correct. I just read him like a book.

I resisted the urge to smirk in triumph. Nonetheless, he didn't say anything to counter my words, neither did he make a move. He simply stared into my eyes in shock, and I could swear that I saw something in his eyes, a broken look. I didn't get more time to study him further, because suddenly he just disappeared. I was left alone in my bedroom once again.

He ran away. He truly is pathetic.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

| **Kudozaki Lucine** |

My face was blank as I watched him dazedly glare holes into the sheets on his lap. The new hokage, Tsunade, managed to heal his major wounds, but he still has to stay in the hospital. However, he hasn't spoken to me ever since we returned from the Tea Country mission. He wasn't even looking at me. Which means that something is terribly wrong, and I know what. I know what he is thinking about.

Ever since that damned fight with Itachi, he's been suffering. He feels weak, after the words Itachi uttered to him. The fact that Naruto was able to defeat Aoi while Sasuke couldn't made it worse. He feels inferior to Naruto, that must be it.

"Sasuke." I started, looking down at him. But he didn't make any move that indicated that he heard me. His gaze stayed on his lap. "Answer me, Sasuke." I repeated, but he remained as he was. This is bad. Sasuke never ignores me. There is something more to it... there is something else that is bothering him, other than the inferiority towards Naruto.

For the first time, I had no idea what the problem was, and what to do to fix it. It made me feel helpless. Sasuke is in pain, and he won't let me in. "Please Sasuke..." I murmured. _Look at that, now I'm begging him._

He finally met my eyes, his expression void of emotion, "If even _Naruto_ is stronger than me, how am I supposed to protect you, Lucine?"

I shook my head."I don't need to be protected, Sasuke."

His eyes narrowed at my words, as if what I said was complete rubbish. "Zabuza. Forest of Death. Gaara. _Itachi_. Tea Country." he listed all the places and people that had hurt me in the span of these eventful months.

"I'm a shinobi. Shinobi are bound to get hurt in battle." I scoffed. He's being foolish again.

Sasuke kept silent, only staring at me with his stoic eyes. He's never given me that look before. However, I was unable to say anything more about it because the door suddenly opened. Sakura walked in with a bag of red apples, Naruto walking next to her.

"I brought some apples, Sasuke-kun." Sakura said cheerfully, taking a seat next to Sasuke's bed, slightly blocking my view of him. I took a step back next to Naruto who wrapped his arm around my shoulders and grinned at me. I ignored the gesture, instead keeping my eyes on Sakura and Sasuke, the latter was glaring coldly at the former, and it somehow made me worry. "You like them right? Don't they look delicious?" she held up a round, red apple and a knife, about to peel it. She did the task quickly, "Done. All peeled and ready. Here, try one, Sasuke-kun."

In a split second, Sasuke raised his arm and slapped the plate and the peeled apple out of Sakura's hands so it fell on the floor and shattered. Sakura let out a small squeal while Naruto immediately stepped up, "What the hell are you doing, Sasuke?!"

| **Uchiha Sasuke** |

The wild thoughts in my mind were making my head hurt. Even so, I was unable focus my mind elsewhere. I'm weak. So weak that even Naruto is stronger than me. So weak that I've been unable to protect Lucine, not even once have I succeeded that one simple thing that I swore I would. So weak that Gaara had been harassing Lucine right under my nose, and I hadn't done a damn single thing. He _touched_ her. The thought of that redhead even looking at her made my blood boil and my eyes see only red. He's still alive, walking freely around his village.

My hands gripped the sheets so tight that my nails were probably making holes in it. I could hear Lucine calling out my name next to her, but I ignored her. How could I look at her now? How could _she_ look at _me_. I've failed her so many times now. She must be ashamed of me.

"Please Sasuke..." her soft beg made me finally look into her eyes. Looking into her honey colored eyes made my stomach twist and turn. All I want is to protect those eyes. Yet I can't even do that, how will I be able to kill Itachi when I'm weak like this?

"If even _Naruto_ is stronger than me, how am I supposed to protect you, Lucine?" I asked her, watching as her eyes softened.

"I don't need to be protected, Sasuke."

My eyes narrowed at her foolish words. She's been hurt countless times. "Zabuza. Forest of Death. Gaara. Itachi. Tea Country." I listed all the times I failed her, all the times where she had been hurt.

She scoffed, "I'm a shinobi. Shinobi are bound to get hurt in battle."

 _No. Not you. Don't you understand?_ _No one can hurt my Lucine_. _No one can touch my Lucine._ I stared longingly at her, but quickly shifted it to apathy; giving her the stoic look I give everyone. _Yet, you've been both hurt and touched. What is there that I need to do in order to get the power to protect you?_


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

 **Uchiha Sasuke**

The same second the Sound Five gave me the invitation, I had already made my decision. This is exactly what I need. This can solve everything. I can gain the power to finally kill Itachi, and protect Lucine from harm. I don't see why I shouldn't take this great opportunity. Leaving the village isn't that bad, I have nothing that matters here that ties me to the village.

Except for Lucine... But I can't bring her with me. Orochimaru is not someone that should be anywhere close to her. Although he's the one who is going to give me power, I don't trust him anywhere near Lucine. I could feel my heart ache at the thought of being away from Lucine for who knows how long, but I knew it was for the best.

That's why I stood by her bed, watching her peaceful face while she slept. She was deeply asleep, breathing steadily. My stomach twisted and turned at the thought of her waking up alone, with me out of the village. She'll feel betrayed, and will probably hate me. But she'll forgive me eventually, I know she will.

I sat down on the bed, close to her, and gazed upon her face for the last time. "I'll miss you." I whispered, even though I know she won't hear me. "And I know you'll miss me too."

I cupped her cheeks and pressed my lips against hers, giving her a soft kiss. "I'll come back for you, I promise." I said after pulling away. I let my hand run through her hair gently, "And when I do, I'll be strong enough to be next to you. After all, you only deserve the best, since you're a princess." My eyes darkened slightly, and as they did, my hand moved down to her shoulder, " _My_ princess."

As if to show my claim, I kissed her again, more harshly this time. My hands slowly found their way under the blankets, moving their way under her shirt. I was only caressing softly, moving higher up slowly, till I was cupping her breasts. I inhaled her peach scent, burying my nose in her neck, "Mine, mine, mine. Only mine."

I could hear Lucine let out a low moan when I squeezed a little too hard. My heartbeat speed up. This is the first time I've heard her moan.

Just to make sure, I pulled away to look at her face again. She was still asleep, not even stirring. Looking at her like this, sprawled on the bed with me on top of her, made me wonder if I should justtakeher. Just once. To see what's it like to completely have her before I leave. But in order to do that, I'd have to wake her.

I sighed in disappointment, and then stood up from the bed. I don't want her to be asleep when we do it. Bending down and leaving one last, lingering kiss on her plump lips, I whispered in her ear. "Goodbye, my Lucine. Don't forget me." Then I left the room.

A tear left my eye and rolled down my cheek as I left our house. My heart was hurting so much, and the farther I walked away, the worse it got. The pain was so great, it made me wonder, how am I going to survive without her?

How I even managed to walk this far without running back to her was a mystery for me. Maybe I should have just taken her with me. She probably wouldn't want it, but I don't mind using force. As if she had read my thoughts, I heard a voice speak behind me.

"Sasuke." a very familiar voice called out behind me. My heart nearly burst out of my chest.

"Lucine..." I whispered, turning around to face her. There she stood, barefoot and still in her night clothes. Her hair was loose and messy. She was panting, so she must have been running. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, "What are you doing out of bed? It's late." I stated nonchalantly, trying to keep my voice monotonous.

"Idiot, don't try to play stupid." she said harshly, "I know what you're doing. And no matter what you think, it's wrong. This is not the right way to get stronger _."_

I kept silent for a moment. I had already reached the gates, I could just teleport out of the village. "I've already made up my mind, Lucine. Not even you can change it." I was surprised, my voice was monotonous and it didn't waver even once. Despite the fact that inside, I was a complete mess. It was difficult to keep myself from running up to her, wrap my arms around her and never let go.

She frowned and shook her head, "I won't let you leave. Your place is here. Leaving with him is a wrong path." She tried to reason, but her attempts were useless. _I need_ _to leave. This is a necessary sacrifice._

"Goodbye, Lucine." I said for the second time that night, and then turned my back to walk away.

"No!" she shouted. Her raise of voice took me off guard and made me stop in my tracks again, but I didn't turn around. "If you leave, I'll _never_ forgive you."

Her words hurt, but I didn't dare look at her. Instead I forced myself to keep walking.

"Sasuke!" she screamed again, not stopping this time, "Stop! Don't you dare take another step!" Her display of emotions was surprising, she always keeps herself so composed.

Am I affecting her this much? Despite her words, I kept walking without looking back. It was only when I heard the tone of her next word that I froze, "Sasuke..." she pleaded, her voice low and almost cracking.

Quickly I turned back to her. The sight made my heart completely freeze. Lucine was on her knees, looking up at me with begging eyes. In a flash I was right in front of her, getting on my knees and grabbing her forearms. "Don't leave." she whispered, looking into my eyes.

My breath hitched. I can't reject those eyes. I can't say no to her. She's begging me.

This is why I didn't wake her up, because I know I can't resist her. I quickly hugged her close to me, wrapping my arms around her small form. She gripped my shirt tightly and buried her face in my chest. _There is no way I'll be able to leave her now. Not like this._

In desperation, I came up with the only solution, "Come with me."

She tensed, and kept silent for a long time. I hugged her tighter, placing my face in her hair. "This is my home, Sasuke. Our home. We're staying, both of us."

It was at that moment that I realized there was only one way this could turn out. There was only one thing I could do. Slowly, I pulled away and looked into her honey colored eyes, "I love you." I confessed, smiling softly. She sighed, of what I guessed was relief, and relaxed her shoulders. I grabbed both sides of her head and kissed her deeply. She, of course, didn't kiss back, but she stayed still. For once, she didn't tense up. She was just letting me kiss her. Even when I slipped my tongue between her lips, she didn't push me away. To my surprise, she gripped the sides of my shirt and relaxed, and granted my tongue entrance in her mouth.

When I finally did pull away, she looked up at me. I took in her face, her honey eyes, her button nose, her rosy cheeks, her kiss-swollen pink lips. _She has always been so beautiful_. Then I said the words, "I'm sorry." I whispered, watching as her honey eyes widened. In a split second, I vanished from her warm embrace, and left her there.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

| **Kudozaki Lucine** |

In desperation, I was rummaging through my closet, throwing clothes behind me to find the damned thing. Never have I felt so betrayed. _I'll never forgive that bastard for just abandoning me, as if I am some dog._

Suddenly, in the corner of the closet I saw a glimmering, light blue crystal ball. I quickly reached out and grabbed it. It was cold against the skin of my hand, but it also burned. Like if there was a cold flame in the middle of the ball. I looked at the crystal ball closely to make sure it was the right one, and when I did; I didn't waste a second to throw it on the floor so it shattered in hundreds of pieces.

The fragments of the ball turned into blue light bulbs that formed together to form a person. And after about one minute, the person I had summoned stood before me. His red eyes stared holes into my honey eyes, and his expression was kept impassive. I let out a breath, it's been a while since I've seen him. Although I briefly saw him in the Tea Country, it was only for some seconds. Now that he was right before me, I noticed that he hadn't changed much. He has grown a lot taller. He was at least two heads taller than me. One thing that stood out the most though, was his eyes. They were as cold as ice.

It was silent between us, both of us just eyeing each other. He commented dryly, "You kept your hair long."

I wanted to frown at that, since he was the main reason to why I was unable to cut it, and he knew. Instead of replying to his comment, I went straight to the point. "He left." I said, letting out a sigh in annoyance. "Bring him back."

He lifted an eyebrow, "Is that why you summoned me?" Although his voice was stoic, I could almost make out the disappointment in his words. _Must have imagined it_. The crystal ball was something he gave me before he left, and although many years have passed, I've never once called for him.

" _Bring him back._ " I repeated, more harshly this time and taking a step closer to him.

"Why would I do that?" he asked innocently, keeping his face emotionless.

I chose my next words carefully, taking a deep breath. What I'm about to do now, it's a sacrifice. But I don't trust Sasuke with Orochimaru. _He's plotting something, I'm sure of it. This is necessary, I have to do this._ "If you get him back, I'll accept your offer. I swear it."

For a second, I thought I saw a flash of a smirk on his lips, but it disappeared quickly, "Will you now, Lucine?" he spoke my name teasingly, and reached out to grab a strand of my hair. "You'll come willingly?" I simply nodded, resisting the urge to slap his hand away.

"Will you do it?" I asked impatiently.

He let my hair go and gave a small nod. "Yes, I'll bring my foolish little brother back. But you'll have to keep your word."


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

| **Kudozaki Luc** **ine** |

Strangely enough, I was not surprised when I felt two warm arms wrap around me, hugging me to their lean chest. If this was someone else, their arms would be separated from their body, but this was someone that I actually gave permission to touch me. Just for a small while though. "Uzumaki, I suppose you came to stay for dinner again." I said blankly, only a slight hint of annoyance in my tone.

His chest rumbled against my back when he chuckled, "I came to see you, Lucine-chan! Believe it!"

I poured the homemade ramen into a bowl and proceeded to chop some vegetables - all while Naruto was latched onto me like a koala bear. It sure must have been a strange sight, since he's so tall and huge compared to my small form. When I had finished preparing everything, I stood still and waited patiently for the koala to let go of me. Nothing happened. "Excuse my rudeness, Uzumaki, but could you do me a favor and let go?" the sarcasm in my voice was clear.

He shook his head, "No, I like your warmth."

"Let go now and I'll make you ramen tomorrow too." I bribed, knowing that nothing will make this koala let go unless I give him something in return. When he returned from his training with Jiraya some months ago, I've grown _slightly_ closer to him. Although I still find him annoying, I've learned to bear with his bothersome presence. His need for physical contact is what annoys me the most, but he's giving me no choice to accept it since he does it all the time. Unfortunately, he comes by several times a week to eat dinner -mostly ramen- and sometimes he even sleeps over. _Is this what it's like to have a little brother?_ I pondered. _It's horrible._

Fortunately, he let go of me, but not before leaving a kiss on my temple, which made me tense up. "Stop doing that." I ordered. He just gave me his foxy grin and sat down at the dining table, waiting for me to serve him. "I will kill you." I threatened with my blank voice, placing the bowl of miso ramen in front of him. He, like always, ignored my threats and started shoving noodles down his throat. I resisted the urge to shove his face in the bowl. I'm never one to lose my temper and act impulsively, but he makes me lose my patience way too easily.

When he was done he grinned and wiped his face with his sleeve, "Delicious, as always." he complimented. I just nodded. His face suddenly glowered, and his expression took a great turn. "There's something I have to tell you."

"What is it?" I spoke in disinterest while I took his empty bowl and chopsticks in my hands, about to clean in it.

"You have a solo-mission next week. No information was given other than you need to leave for Suna, since Gaara asked for you." Naruto grumbled while standing up to help me do the dishes.

"The Kazekage?" I asked, my interest sparked. I've only seen him once after the Chunin exams, but it was only briefly. "Why?"

He shrugged, "I dunno'. Tsunade-baa-chan only told me to tell you." he grumbled something under his breath that I didn't quite catch. "Don't stay for too long, he might steal you away from me."

I blinked, looking at him passively. As I handed him a newly washed plate, I watched as he dried it solemnly. "Since when was I yours?"

"Since I first tasted your ramen!" his foxy grin was back.

When we were done washing everything, I turned to him, "You got your ramen, now leave."

"Why are you so cold, Lucine-chan." he pouted while trying to reach out and hug me, but I dodged it. He let out low whine, "I'll come back tomorrow, believe it!" he swore, while finally walking away.

When I heard the door close, signaling that he had left, I let out a sigh. "Idiot." I whispered under my breath and made my way to my room. I've moved to this apartment, after _that_ happened. Although it wasn't big compared to the Uchiha Compound, I felt better living here.

When I got to my room, I noticed that my window was open. And I was not the one that opened it. _So that means he's here_. As soon as I closed my door, I felt a strong force push me into my bed, and something heavy on top of me.

"You're back." the creature on top of me whispered, kissing the underside of my ear.

"Itachi, how nice of you to come by. To what do I owe the pleasure?" I spoke sarcastically, trying to push him off, but he of course wouldn't budge.

It's been like this ever since _he_ left. Itachi was originally supposed to bring Sasuke back, but I made him spy on him instead. Sasuke is an idiot, and will only get himself killed. So every week, Itachi comes by to offer me information. Unfortunately, he has trouble keeping his hands to himself all the time. A trait he shares with his brother. _Why does these kind of things keep happening to me?_

"You've been gone for a week." he stated and pulled away to look down at me. His body was hovering over mine while his hands were pinning down my wrist. "Were you looking for my brother?"

At last, I managed to kick him off, but he landed soundlessly on his feet to my disappointment. "Of course not. I was on a mission with my team. Now that you've brought up the subject, any news from him?"

Itachi sat down on my bed, right next to me, then pulled me into his lap, "He killed Orochimaru." he said blankly, stroking my thighs, "He's about to recruit members for his new team, to kill me." his voice was apathetic as he spoke, but he didn't sound so focused. It was as if his whole attention was on me. "Where is my kiss?"

I frowned and ignored his last question, "Sasukekilled Orochimaru? He left for power, then _killed_ the source?" I asked in disbelief, then scoffed. "I guess that snake-shit had nothing left to offer." Itachi turned me around, so that I was now straddling him. I -as always- ignored his existence and simply asked him, "Who is he planning to recruit?"

"I don't know yet." he whispered and was about to press his lips against mine, but I leaned backwards to avoid him. "Kiss me." he demanded, trying to capture my lips again.

"Find out who. That idiot will get himself killed if he recruits the wrong people." I commanded, but then frowned in annoyance when he leaned in to kiss me. "And stop molesting me."

Itachi chuckled, and pecked my cheek, "You're mine."

"Don't be so sure about that, Naruto has already claimed me." I stated, trying to wriggle free out of his grasp.

His hands tightened around my waist, and his whole body tensed, " _What_?"

I smirked and crossed my arms, "That's right, I am his now. What are you going to do now?" I teased him further, ignoring the way his eyes became darker and clouded with killing intent. His Sharingan was now spinning wildly in his eyes.

"I'll kill him." he growled, and was about to stand up, until I forced him back down, pushing him onto the bed.

I rolled my eyes and looked down at him, this time I was hovering over him. "Calm down, I was just kidding. You're so immature."

Itachi flipped us around, and glared at me softly, "Don't joke about that." he said seriously, then at last pressed his lips against mine.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto_

| **Uchiha Sasuke** |

 _I was in a rush that day to get home from the academy. My mother had told me that when I get back from the academy, there'll be a surprise waiting for me at home._ I wonder what it is. A tomato pie? A kunai set? Katon jutsu scrolls? It could be anything.

 _The thought made me step up my pace in excitement. Before I knew it I had already arrived at the Uchiha compound._

 _Rushing up to my house and almost running over my grandmother, I slid the door and scrambled inside, "Kaa-san! Tadaima! [1]" I chirped, running to the kitchen._

 _There sat my mother on a pillow while sipping tea by the table. "Okaeri [2], Sasuke." she said with her warm smile._

 _"What's the surprise-" just when I asked, I noticed that across from my mother, sat a little girl that looked my age. She had long chocolate brown hair in two messy braids and big honey colored eyes. Her face was round like the moon, and her cheeks were rosy, she almost looked like a doll._ So cute... _I thought, a blush developing on my cheeks. "...Hi." I greeted shyly._

 _My mother smiled at me, and nodded at the little girl. Said girl stood up from the pillow and faced me, her eyes big and innocent. She bowed, "It's very nice to meet you, Sasuke-san. My name is Kudozaki Lucine." she greeted politely, her voice surprisingly resembling the way Aniki [3] spoke._

 _Kaa-san stood up from her pillow as well and walked up next to Lucine. "This is our new family member, your father and I were friends with her parents, but after their unfortunate deaths, poor Lucine-chan was left all alone in the world. Therefore, she'll be living with us from now on." Kaa-san explained while smiling brightly. The girl looked at me with an expressionless face, only a slight curious glint in her eyes. "Isn't she adorable! I've always wanted a little girl like this. Look at the dress I got her, it fits her perfectly!" Kaa-san squealed, hugging her tight to her chest as if she was a teddy bear. Lucine was dressed in a pink lolita dress. It looked like it belonged to a porcelain doll, so I'm sure if she stood still, someone would actually think she was one._

 _Lucine stood still in my mother's embrace, letting her squeeze the air out of her little body. I felt sorry for her, knowing how tight my mother's hugs were. I stared at my new family member, while she stared back with her empty, honey eyes._

 _I didn't do much for the rest of the day. We all ate dinner together for the first time, so Lucine got to know Tou-san [4] and Aniki. At night we all had a meeting with the rest of the Uchiha clan, so Lucine was introduced to the rest of my family. She's now officially a member of the Uchiha clan. When I asked my mother if they're going to change her last name to "Uchiha", she said that she'll keep "Kudozaki" for now. Although I didn't understand why, I didn't ask more about that matter._

_The next day, a Saturday morning, I invited Lucine to play with me after breakfast. She accepted, and we were now playing hide and seek in the forest. It wasn't going so well._

 _"28... 29... 30! Here I go!" I said excitedly and turned around to look for Lucine, only to find her standing right behind me, looking at me with narrowed eyes. I let out a whine, "Lucine-chan! You're supposed to hide!"_

 _She crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks, "But it's rude to hide from people."_

 _"It's the point of the game to hide! You hide, and I seek." I sighed in frustration. This was the 3rd time I explained, "Let's try again."_

 _She frowned, "I don't like this game."_

 _As I played different games with Lucine, I learned that she's bad at hide and seek (not that she's trying), that she's really good at tag, and that she takes the game House too seriously. She was the baby, while I was the father. In the end I ended up screaming at her that she was being lazy when she didn't help me making the pretend-food, while she argued that babies are unable to cook. Although she was right, she took her role way too seriously._

_The next day, we played inside my room since it was raining. We were playing dinosaurs, which again she took too seriously._

 _"Rawr! Out of my way!" I growled about to push her away, but she surprisingly dodged me, gripped my hands and tackled me to the floor._

 _She blinked down at me, holding my wrists so tight it actually hurt a little. "Rawr. You're lower than me, I will devour you." she said blankly, while I struggled under her grip._

 _"What are you doing, Lucine-chan!?" I asked. Slightly unnerved by the serious look on her face, as if she meant every word she said._ Is she actually going to eat me?

 _The teasing, playful glint in her eyes confirmed my suspicion. Before I could even try to kick her away, she grabbed my arm and pulled it close to her mouth, "Itadakimasu [5]." I widened my eyes, and watched as she bit into my forearm._

 _I let out a startled yelp._ S-she's biting me! _Although I expected it to hurt, it didn't. She was just pinching the skin between her lips. My face burned with the blush that started forming on my face, it felt like all the blood in my body was rushing to my cheeks._

 _After a minute she pulled away, licking her lips, "Thanks for the treat." she thanked, looking up at me with that same teasing, sly look._

 _When I looked down at my arm, I saw that she had left a mark. My blush deepened, if possible. "That's... that's cannibalism!"_

_Lucine and I played every day, and she never failed to surprise me or take me off guard with her strange personality. I liked her more and more for every day, I even felt my heart beat faster every time she held my hand or got close to me. I didn't know what it meant, but it was a pleasant feeling._

 _Lucine wanted to be a ninja as well, so she attended the academy with me. The first day was stressful, since many of the other kids started crowding around her and squealing how cute she was. However, I chased them all away. For some reason, it annoyed me when others got too close to her. As a result, I kept her close to me at all times, never separating from her. Lucine didn't seem to mind my possessiveness over her, it's not like she had a choice anyways._

 _Time went by, two months to be exact, and I was already very close to Lucine. She was mine, and I was hers. We were together every second of the day. We ate together, we played together, we shared the same bed and we bathed together._

 _Sometimes when I couldn't sleep; she sang for me while petting my hair, and I always went out like a light._

 _I loved her. She was my best friend._

* * *

 **Translations**

[1] - **Kaa-san** means mother. In this case Sasuke is referring to Mikoto. **Tadaima** means "I'm home"

[2] - **Okaeri** means "Welcome home"

[3] - **Aniki** means older brother, in this case Sasuke is referring to Itachi

[4] - **Tou-san** means father, in this case Sasuke is referring to Fugaku

[5] - **Itadakimasu** is something Japanese people say before a meal, it literally means "I receive this". In this case, Lucine was going to "eat" Sasuke


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

| **Uchiha Itachi** |

 _I watched as my little brother ran up the stairs cheerfully with Lucine - our new family member - with my mother close behind. It was bathing time. Although Lucine had only been here for two months, it was obvious that my Otouto [1] treasured her greatly. I hadn't gotten the chance to know her yet, due to all the missions. I've only exchanged some words with her, so I know nothing about her._

 _"Itachi." my father called from across the table to get my attention. "I suppose you already know what I'm about to tell you." he said with a small smirk, taking a sip of his tea._

 _"Hn." was my response. The decision was made one month ago. He never told me, but I figured it out myself. I saw the way he looked at Lucine._

 _He crossed his arms, "I suggest you get to know her. Take the week off, and spend time with her." there was a satisfied glimmer in his eyes. Then he smirked, "When you're both of age, you will marry."_

 _I just nodded, not thinking much of it. This was inevitable, I knew he'd pick a bride for me sooner or later. If Otouto liked her, she couldn't be that bad._

 _***_

| **Uchiha Sasuke** |

 _As soon as we walked inside the household, we were met with Aniki. He stood there, as if he was waiting for us. Lucine had only met Itachi a few times. He was almost always busy training, on missions, etc. that's why he almost never has time for us._

 _I grinned and ran into his chest, hugging him tightly, "You're here early, Aniki."_

 _He patted my head, "Okaeri, Otouto." then he looked down at Lucine that was standing behind me, staring blankly at Itachi. "And Lucine-san." he added, earning a nod in acknowledgement from her. "I've got this whole week free, to have more time to get to know our new family member."_

 _"Really?!" I almost bursted in happiness at the news. I was going to spend one whole week with my two current favorite people in the world._

 _Playing hide and seek with Itachi and Lucine was fun. Itachi actually went slightly easy on us when hiding, but whenever he was the seeker he almost immediately found us. Especially Lucine, but that wasn't a surprise since she isn't the best at hiding. Always saying that "hiding from people is rude". I wonder who taught her that. In fact, I'm really curious about where she was before she came to us, and why._ Who were her parents? How did they die? Is she even from Konoha? _She never mentioned anything about her past, my parents either. I haven't asked her yet, in fear of upsetting her. Maybe she's still sensitive about their death._

 _Currently, I was hiding under a bush, waiting for Lucine, since she was the current seeker. However, she was taking her time._

| **Uchiha Itachi** |

 _"I found you, Itachi-san." she said teasingly, tilting her head to the side as she looked up at me. I hid on top of a mildly-high tree branch._

 _"Indeed." I commented, jumping down in front of her. Seeing as this was the first time I've been alone with her, it was a perfect opportunity to get to know her better and see what she's really like. I looked down at her small form. She was really short, but still one inch taller than Sasuke. Her face was expressionless, just like mine._

 _I decided to experiment with her, "I made it easy for you, though." I lied, just to see her reaction. I actually went harder on her than I do with Sasuke, to test her. I didn't conceal my chakra signature though._

 _She nodded, "Thank you."_

 _That surprised me. I expected her to look annoyed, or too glare childishly at me like someone her age would do. I decided to push her further, "You used more time than I expected to find me." I taunted, suppressing a smirk._

 _She tilted her head to the side, eyeing me in curiosity, as if she was analyzing me. Her eyes searched for something in my eyes, then as if she found it, she blinked. "Forgive me, it's still easy for me to get lost in the forest." she explained calmly, her voice monotonous._

 _I smirked._ Otou-san was right about her after all. Mature, polite and proper. _"Is that so? I'll help you find Otouto then." I offered, holding up my arm._

 _"Thank you, Itachi-san." she replied in a robotic way, as if she was... programmed to say it. She linked her arm with mine, accepting my held out arm, "I already know where he is hiding though."_

 _She was right. She lead me directly to Sasuke's hiding place. Sasuke was good at hiding, so the only way for her to know his hiding place was for her to sense his chakra. It was unusual, for someone her age to know how to do that._

 _I watched as Sasuke whined, accusing Lucine of cheating while she calmly explained that he was just bad at hiding. It was clear in her eyes that she was teasing him, while Sasuke stayed oblivious, arguing further like the child he is._

 _I looked at Lucine, watching how her honey colored eyes crinkled in amusement, and how the corner of her lips tugged to the side, as if she was fighting a smile. Of all times I've been around her, I've never seen her smile even once. In the back of my mind, I couldn't help but wonder if I'll one day make her smile like my little brother is almost succeeded in doing now._

_It was like that for the rest of the week. I'll be with Sasuke and Lucine, and join them in whatever game they were playing. Quite liking the time I spent with them, I took another week off. Unfortunately for me, I barely had any alone time with Lucine. Sasuke hogged her all to himself, even at night. If he doesn't have "his Lucine" sleeping next to him, he'll throw a tantrum._

 _Luckily for me - but unluckily for Otouto - he caught the flu one day. He was unable to say a complete sentence without coughing, and it was really contagious. As a result, Lucine wasn't allowed to be next to him, much to Sasuke's disappointment._

 _"What would you like to do, Lucine-san?" I asked, watching as she slowly swung back and forth on the swing, me sitting on the other swing next to her._

 _She hummed, and looked up at the sky, "It is a sunny day, going out for ice cream sounds nice." she offered, looking at me for approval._

 _I nodded and stood up from the swing and offered my arm, "Ice cream it is then." She stood up as well and linked her arm with mine._

 _Our walk to get ice cream was silent, which Lucine didn't seem to mind. Her mind looked like it was focused on something else, since her eyes were glazed. I didn't ask what she was thinking about, even though I was curious._ I wonder if she's thinking about her old family _. That thought only made me more curious._

 _Suddenly, I felt a tug on my arm that was strong enough to make me stop in my tracks. I turned around in surprise, knowing that it was Lucine that had abruptly stopped. She stood still, her arm unlinked from mine, and was looking up._

 _"Lucine-san?" I called out in confusion, but she didn't even look at me. And that was when I understood that something had managed to capture her entire attention. I let my eyes follow the direction she was looking, just to see a house._

 _It was not a small house, but not big either. Light yellow in color. It looked somewhat old, like it hadn't been inhabited in months. Nonetheless, Lucine's complete attention was centered on the house. Her expression was a blank canvas, but there was an unreadable look in her eyes._

 _"Lucine-san?" I called out again, gently touching her shoulder._

 _She didn't look at me, but she spoke, "It's my old home." her tone was low, barely a whisper. I almost couldn't hear her._

Her old home? _I looked back at the house._ She lived here? _That, I didn't know. In fact, I know nothing of her past, except that she's an orphan. Just when I was about to ask her if she wanted to talk about it, she started telling me herself._

 _"I killed my parents." she stated randomly, still keeping her eyes on the house. I widened my eyes in shock and confusion. "When I was born, my heart wasn't beating. I was dead. So my mother gave her life chakra to me, to revive me. She died in the process. In other words,_ I killed her _."_

 _I shifted uncomfortably where I stood. She was saying that so blankly and curtly, as if she feels nothing about that matter. This is definitely not healthy, especially with the way she blames herself. "You didn't-" I was going to defend her, saying that it was not her fault, but she interrupted me._

 _"My father didn't blame me either. He raised me with love, and never held it against me. I loved him. And he loved me, or... so I thought." she looked down at her feet, "My father was an alcoholic... and whenever he drank, he'd say hurtful things, calling me a murderer... It'd hurt, but I justified it with the alcohol, telling myself that he wasn't being himself. Only recently, did I realize that I was being a fool. Father always abused me verbally, when he was drunk... Until... until one day it got physical. Just that that one time, he was sober. Not a drop of alcohol was in his body."_

 _I looked at her with horrified eyes, left speechless. Never once had I considered what she had went through before she came to us, and it somehow made me feel selfish. However, her story wasn't over._

 _"He tried to kill me. And he would have, if I hadn't ran away. I escaped to the forest, out of Konoha. I was there for a whole day. All I could do was cry like an idiot, sulking, feeling sorry for myself." she clenched her fists and closed her eyes. "I stayed in denial, convincing myself that he loved me, he was just not himself. So I did a mistake and returned to my house. And when I came back, I was welcomed with a strong stench, coming from the living room..." she took a shaky breath._

 _"The rope was tightly wrapped around his neck, while his feet hovered over the floor. I did it was too late, he had already hanged himself killed my mother, and my father hated me for it all that time. As a result, my father died as well. If I wasn't born, they would have lived._ I'm a murderer. _" a cold, humorless laugh left her lips, it made shivers run down my spine. "After that, I lost the ability to feel, to cry, to smile. I felt nothing anymore, empty inside and out." She turned to look at me, her eyes cold and lifeless. Instead of their honey color, they were now a dull light brown. She was an empty shell._

 _I looked down at her, feeling a foreign, new feeling developing in my stomach, moving up to my chest. My heart ached for her. I wanted to help her, take away all her pain. I wanted to make her feel, cry and_ smile _again. Acting on impulse, I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her to my chest._

 _She immediately stiffened uncomfortably. "Itachi-san-" she started, tense in my arms, but I didn't let her._

 _"It's rude to hide from people, Lucine. You said so yourself." I whispered. Her face hidden in my shirt, pressed into my chest. "Cry, Lucine. I know there is pain in your chest that you're suppressing. Cry what's left of it, don't hide your tears." She tensed, as if she was shocked. Her shoulders trembled, and I could feel her teeth clench tightly against each other. I hugged her tighter, holding one hand on top of her head, "Nobody will see you cry like this."_

 _It took time before she let herself relax, but eventually, I felt her relax more and more, until she gripped the sides of my shirt. After some minutes, I could feel my shirt dampen._

 _After that day, I felt a change in our relationship. Lucine was more around me, more talkative and open. Although she never smiled, I knew that she was happy._

 _Strangely enough, I felt a change in me as well. Whenever I looked upon her, a warm feeling enveloped my chest, and I was unable to keep my eyes off her. I noticed that it was difficult to keep my hands to myself as well, and that I wanted her close to me all the time._

 _Of course, I had already figured out what the feeling was. It was just weird to actually experience it myself. The uneven beating of my heart, the desire for her touch, the warmth in my chest, the constant crave of her presence... it was such a different feeling to what I felt for Sasuke._

 _I've fallen in love with her._


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

| **Uchiha Itachi** |

 _When Sasuke was at last allowed to get out of bed, his flu completely cured, my vacation had already come to its end. Lucine didn't seem too happy with that fact, looking up at me with her neutral face, which I knew was a glare._

 _"If you really wanted to be with us, you'd take another week off." she said calmly, Sasuke looked at her strangely. Obviously he was confused by her attitude, and that she at all cared that I wouldn't be around them anymore. He didn't know we had gotten closer while he was sick._

 _I poked her forehead, like I do with Otouto. "I've been away from my duties for too long." I tried to reason, "I'll be back tomorrow."_

 _Lucine shook her head, "Do what you want." She walked away after this, towards the forest._

 _Sasuke looked at her in disbelief, then at me, "See you tomorrow then, Aniki..." he then turned to run after her, "Wait for me, Lucine-chan!"_

 _I sighed, wanting to run after her myself. I knew that if I left now, Lucine wouldn't talk to me on my return._ Maybe I should take _another_ week off?

 **2 years later**

 **Uchiha Sasuke**

 _It was silent. She was looking at me with a blank look, while I was grinning at her. Today I felt like doing something new, play a new game. For some reason... I craved Lucine's touch more than usual today. It was a strange feeling. Although I'm always after her touch, these past weeks been different. It's a constant longing, and it feels like no matter how many times I hug her, I'm never satisfied. It's been like this ever since_ that _happened..._

 _"Ne, Lucine-chan," I smiled, looking down at the floor shyly. "Let's play House."_

 _She tilted her head to the side, "Aren't we getting a little too old for these games, Sasuke-san?"_

 _I shook my head, "Instead of you being the baby, and I the father... you'll be my wife." a blush developed on my cheeks, just the thought made my stomach tingle with different emotions. It sounds nice. Lucine being my wife. I wouldn't mind at all, to be honest. "And I'll be your husband."_

 _She looked confused by the new request, but agreed nonetheless, "Alright then. What am I supposed to do?"_

 _I grinned and gripped her wrist, guiding her to the bed. When she sat down, I laid down next to her, putting my head in her lap, "Play with my hair, wife." I ordered softly, closing my eyes._

 _She hesitantly complied, running her hand across my face, and then into my hair. I almost let out a purr in satisfaction._

 _"What's the point of this game, Sasuke-san?" she said and used her other hand to play with the spikes of my hair._

 _I decided not to answer her, keeping my eyes closed to enjoy her nice touch. "Can you kiss my cheek as well?" I mumbled, snuggling closer to her._

 _She sighed, but she did as I asked anyways. She left trails of kisses down my cheek. It was pleasant to feel the warmth and softness of her lips._ I wonder how it feels to have her lips against my own...? Maybe if I asked... _Unable to contain my curiosity, I asked, "My lips too?"_

 _She leaned in closer and pecked the corner of my lips. It was brief, barely lasted a second. But it still made the butterflies dance wildly in my stomach. I felt something in my chest shift, and I craved more. "Again."_

 _"That's enough, Sasuke-san. This game is boring." she commented, placing my head gently on the bed and stood up._

 _I frowned, anger rising within me. It was hard to understand what I was feeling, but I knew that Lucine not listening to me was angering me. Standing up and gripping her wrists, I growled, "Kiss me, Lucine-chan."_

 _"No." she refused firmly, while trying to shake me off._

 _"You're my wife, and I demand that you kiss me!" I said louder this time, gripping her wrists tighter._

 _She looked surprised for a moment when I screamed at her, but it quickly turned into a frown, "I said no, Sasuke." she said sternly, then proceeded to push me away, making me stumble two steps backwards._

 _That seemed to snap something within me, a wave of sadness falling upon me. My heart clenched, and tears started developing in my eyes._ She has never pushed me before. It feels like.. Lucine is refusing me. _On impulse, I jumped on her, tackling her to the bed, and holding down her shoulders._

 _She immediately put up a fight, struggling under me, making it difficult for me to have her pinned down. "Why!" I screamed, shaking her shoulders. "You'll easily give one to Aniki! Why him and not me, I saw you first! I was first! You were mine first!" I cried, tears furiously running down my face, only worsening when Lucine tried to wriggle out of my grasp. "Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me, KISS ME!"_

 _"Stop it!" she screamed loudly, her voice shaking while her eyes reflected fear. However, before anything else could happen, I felt someone grab me from behind and pull me away from Lucine._

 _"What are you two doing?!" it was Itachi. He looked at us in disbelief, mostly frowning down at me._

 _I pulled away from his grasp, glaring up at him with the tears blurring my vision, "You're trying to steal her away from me! I saw her first and I refuse to share her with anyone!" I hiccuped. "Stay away from her, Lucine-chan is mine, Aniki! Mine, mine, mine!" then I ran out of the room, crying heavily._

 _| **Uchiha Itachi** |_

 _Sasuke pulled away from my grasp, glaring up at me with the tears blurring his vision, "You're trying to steal her away from me! I saw her first and I refuse to share her with anyone!" he hiccuped. "Stay away from her, Lucine-chan is mine, Aniki! Mine, mine, mine!" then he ran out of the room, crying heavily._

 _I rubbed my temples in frustration, letting out a sigh, "This is the second time this week..." I stated, looking at Lucine who sat on the bed, looking down at her feet._

 _He's been acting aggressively these days, and I'll always see him tackling Lucine to the floor or the wall, this time the bed. It was clear that Sasuke's feelings towards her had developed to more than friendship, which could be a real problem in the future._

 _Lucine kept silent for a long while, looking at her feet as if she was guilty. "I now know why." she whispered, slowly looking up at me. "He saw us, the other day. When you confessed to me."_

 _I widened my eyes in shock, finally understanding. That was why he had been giving me the cold shoulder for this whole week. Last week, I finally confessed my feelings for Lucine. She accepted my confession, and let me kiss her, though she didn't say the words back. Apparently, Sasuke saw the kiss. Ever since that day, Sasuke started acting strangely. He glared at me whenever he saw me, and held Lucine's hand whenever I passed by. He'd also give Lucine looks that a seven-year-old should not be giving._

 _"This will be a problem. He won't accept our engagement."_

 _She only nodded, looking down at her feet again._

 _I sat down next to her, gripping her chin gently so that she would look at me, "Maybe I should tell him now. With time, he'll surely accept it."_

 _She looked up at me, a displeased look on her face, but it quickly turned to their neutral look. She nodded again, smiling softly, a smile she only lets me see. With time, I had made her able to smile. She only shows her smiles to me, and it pleases me that I have a special place in her heart. She smiles for me only, which means, even though we're not married yet, she belongs to me. I own her. It sounds selfish, and it doesn't exactly make me better than Sasuke. But I couldn't resist the dark, possessive thoughts that appeared in my head whenever she smiled at me. I_ am special to her. Not Sasuke. It's _me_ she loves.

 _I cupped her cheek, and looked down at her with a_ _smile. She met my gaze with an understanding look, getting what I wanted to do. Obediently, she closed her eyes and gripped the sides of my shirt. I smiled approvingly, and let my lips brush hers. She hesitated, but returned the kiss._

Sasuke is wrong. Lucine is mine _._


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

| **Kudozaki Lucine** |

As I read, I could feel Itachi's intense gaze on me. It had always been this intense, to the point it was hard to focus on anything else but his eyes. But with time, I had managed to get used to it, somewhat. That's why I effortlessly had my eyes on the pages of my book, while his eyes wandered over my body. He didn't say anything, just watched.

Hours went by while I read, and he watched. Only when I had finished the book did I look up at him. He was already looking intently into my eyes, as expected. This happened often. I'd read, cook, clean or train, and he'd watch. It made me wonder why he came here, when all he did was stare and molest me. Although our relationship was official -just we knew about it of course- , I never tried. It's... annoying.

 _Doesn't he have anything better to do? Why does he even bother being with me? Maybe he's just desperate._

"What are you doing here?" I asked him, at last voicing my thoughts.

His eyes flicked to mine, and without waver, he quickly answered, "I was going to get my brother back, and in exchange you'll leave Konoha and be with me. Figuring that was a bad idea, since Sasuke would just leave again, I offered to spy on him in exchange for your affection. Eventually we got in a relationship, and as your lover I'm spending time with you." he answered monotonously, watching in amusement as the annoyance in my eyes spiked for every word. His unnecessary speech did not answer my question, and he was aware of that.

I narrowed my eyes, giving him a glare, "You know that's not what I meant."

His onyx eyes softened, giving me a tender gaze. He wrapped one arm around my waist and brought me to his lap, the other cupping my cheek. The look in his eyes was enough to make me look away, but he moved his hand to my chin and made me look back at him, "Are you insecure, Lucine?"

My eyes immediately widened, my cheeks heating up. "No." I replied quickly, too quick to sound convincing. My whole face felt warm, till the point that I was sure I looked ridiculous.

He chuckled lowly, a small, rare smile on his lips. "You're so cute." he stated, brushing my bangs behind my ear. My blush worsened by the compliment.

"You're annoying. Hmph, why would I be insecure." I tried to defend, while avoiding his intense gaze. He of course wouldn't have it, since he made me meet his eyes again.

"You're right, there is no need for you to be insecure. You're the one that I want, the only one that I'll have. Don't doubt it for a second." he said this while leaving kisses on my neck, until he looked up at me again. "Your mere presence is satisfying. I don't ask more of you."

I just looked at him with a blank expression while arching an eyebrow, my blush gone now. In curiosity, I moved in his lap, straddling him between my legs. And then I started grinding my hips against his. The reaction was immediate. His eyes dilated and his grip on my waist tightened. There was almost a warning look in his eyes when he looked at me.

"So this does not arouse you? Simply watching me is enough?" I asked teasingly.

His eyes clouded with an emotion I knew all too well, it was always in Sasuke's eyes. "I said it was satisfying, not that it was enough." he spoke lowly, his hands gripping my hips to stop my movements, "Careful now, I might just take you against your will."

I let a small smirk form on my lips, and leaned in to whisper in his ear, "Who said it'd be against my will?" Then I nipped his earlobe. This action seemed to snap something within him, his self-control maybe, because he pinned me to the bed and was on top of me in the blink of an eye.

"Foolish woman, you don't know what you're messing with." he warned. He looked down at me with half lidded eyes, his nose an inch away from mine.

"Maybe I do."

"You don't." he countered immediately.

I sighed. "Whatever. You should leave, Naruto is coming any second now."

On cue, I heard the front door open, and the all familiar voice shout out seconds after, "Lucine-chaaan! I'm here, 'ttebayo!"

"There he is." I commented nonchalantly. Itachi's eyes glowed possessively while he clenched his fists. "Off you go now." I added, just to irk him further. He narrowed his eyes in warning.

"I'll come back when he leaves."

"He's sleeping over." I informed, nearly bursting out laughing at his expression. His Sharingan activated and spinned dangerously.

Naruto's steps could be heard from outside the door, and it became louder for every step. He's walking towards my room, but Itachi didn't even make a move to leave. I glared at him, telling him to leave with my eyes.

The door to my room opened, and in that exact second, Itachi poofed away.

| **Uchiha Sasuke** |

The night was dark and cold and the wind was blowing harshly in my face. Even so, I was left unaffected by the cold. My gaze focused on the figure that was making his way out of the shadows, a dark hood creating a shadow over his face.

He stopped and looked at me, his mouth forming into a smirk. I just stared at him with stoic, cold eyes, expecting him to get straight to the point.

He did. "She just returned from her successful B-rank mission with her team, and is going on a solo-mission to Suna in a week."

"Why." I asked, disinterest in my voice, even though I felt quite the opposite.

"The Kazekage requested her presence, I don't know the motive." he said, his voice sounding amused. "She also seems to be in a relationship with the Jinchuuriki of the nine-tails."

My eyes darkened, gritting my teeth together. _I knew that idiot would try to take her from me._ Pure rage ran through my veins, yet I forced myself to keep my calm, "Hn. Is that it?"

He nodded, signalizing the end of our conversation. I threw a small bag at him, which he caught with ease. Without another word, I turned around and walked away. Mentally I counted;

 _3... 2... 1..._

A loud explosion sounded behind me, but I didn't turn around since I already knew the cause of the ruckus. I had put a bomb in the small bag I handed him, instead of money. The fool already knew too much, his time had come since I have no need for him anymore. Not now.

 _It's time. I'm getting Lucine back._


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

| **Uzumaki Naruto** |

As expected, Lucine came in time. Punctual as always. I stood by the gates, to see her before she left for Suna. Today was the day. The week has gone by fairly fast, and now she was leaving, for her C-ranked solo-mission. I felt somber, and my heart clenched at the thought of her being away. She'll probably be away for the very least two weeks. Although that fact hurt, there was this nagging feeling in my chest that told me that she shouldn't be going on this mission, that it was a mistake.

I forced myself to grin when she approached me, not wanting her to see my gloomy face. She blinked, and stopped in front of me, "What are you doing here, Naruto?"

"I came to see you off, of course!" I said cheerily, "You'll probably be away for a long time, huh..."

She looked at me for a second, before her lips twitched with a smirk. "I won't be long. Two weeks, at most." When she noticed that it didn't brighten up my mood at all, she placed her hand on my cheek. "Don't make that face, idiot. You're acting like a puppy." I leaned in to her touch and closed my eyes. She was silent for awhile, simply looking at me. "Are you going to miss me that much?" she asked, almost in surprise. I nodded, placing my hand over hers, "...You're helpless." she sighed.

"Come back quickly." I said softly kissing the palm of her hand, which made her pull away. "You'll come back, right?"

"Of course." she dismissed casually, but it still felt like something was off. As if something was going to happen on her mission... "Well, I'll be going now."

I forced myself to grin again and pulled her into a hug which she actually returned, just more stiffly. Before pulling away, I pressed my lips against her cheek and let myself linger for some seconds. When I at last pulled away, she was looking at me weirdly, but she smirked in amusement nonetheless, the small smirk on her lips made her honey eyes twinkle. What it would be like to have her lips against mine? Just kissing her once, that would be enough for me. As I looked down at her lips, I couldn't help but wonder how she would react if I confessed my feelings to her now.

Before I could even consider it, she had turned her back to me and was walking farther away from me. For every step she took, the hole in my chest grew.

| **Kudozaki Lucine** |

As I walked I felt Naruto's heavy gaze on my back, but I did not turn back to look at him. It was for the best. It's not like I am gone forever, it's just a mission and he is overreacting.

Turning my attention back on the road I decided to scan my surroundings. Itachi wanted to accompany me to Suna, but he had a mission, fortunately. I haven't had much time for myself these days, and I was craving for some privacy and alone-time.

Two hours passed quickly, and it was pretty uneventful. Nothing out of the ordinary occurred. Until I sensed a foreign chakra, which quickly made me stop in my tracks.

Landing on a thick branch, concealed by the leaves I crouched and tried to identify the owner of the chakra signature. _Already? It's barely been two hours,_ I thought in annoyance, not in the mood for a fight.

As I tried to identify the owner, I noticed two things. One, the chakra reserves was too big to be a civilian. Two, whoever this person was made to attempt to conceal their chakra. Almost as if the person wanted me to sense him/her. For every second, the person was moving closer to my current location... until I finally recognized the owner of said chakra.

I widened my eyes, my heart nearly bursting out of my chest. _Shit._ I thought and quickly sped off, adding chakra to my legs to run as fast as I possibly could. _Oh no. No, no, no,_ I thought, panicking.

As I ran, I sensed the newcomer quickening his pace as well, running straight for me. A drop of sweat rolled down my forehead, as I tried to run faster again. _Why now?_ I thought, frowning deeply, my body filling with rage but also slight fear. _I can't face him now_.

Ten minutes later, and he was still chasing after me. He had not caught up with me, but I had a feeling he was doing it on purpose. I frowned in slight irritation. _Is he testing me?_

Before I could take another step, I felt a harsh tug on my ankle that dragged me back, and forced me to stop. The sudden change of pace made me bite my lip accidentally, causing it to bleed. In the span of some seconds I had tumbled harshly to the ground and fell on my side, my arms taking most of the fall. Whatever tugged on my ankle had wrapped itself around my leg and was now moving towards my torso. It felt like some kind of rope, but once I looked down my breath hitched. It was a snake.

A long, purple snake had wrapped itself around my leg and torso, pinning my arms together and squeezing tightly, I could hardly breathe. _What the hell..._ I thought and tried to move, but the snake was incredibly strong. The more I tried to move, the tighter the snake wrapped around me, till it was completely suffocating me. No longer could I breathe.

My vision was darkening, and I could barely make out my surroundings due to the lack of oxygen. Before I lost consciousness, I saw a tall figure standing before me, looking down at me with those familiar dark onyx eyes. Then everything went black.


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

 **[** **A/N** : Lucine will eventually be deflowered. Who do you want to be the one to do the "deed"? Sasuke, Itachi or perhaps Naruto or Gaara? Lots of candidates as you can see.  
I don't know if I will write the lemon, or simply imply it. What do you think? **]**

* * *

| _**Kudozaki Lucine**_ |

The first thing I noticed when I woke up, was how warm I was. Not too warm, just right for me. The bed, or whatever I was laying on, was uncomfortable, otherwise it was alright. I moved closer to what I thought was the source of warmth, and almost let out a pleased sigh when I found it. What felt like an arm wrapped around me, holding me against them.

 _This must be Itachi, or perhaps Naruto_ _,_ I thought as I relaxed in their strong, built arms. In curiosity, I opened my eyes to see who it was.

Only for my blood to freeze in my veins, my breath hitching. Harshly, I pulled away and rolled out of the bed, landing on my feet. I stood in a defensive position, glaring daggers at the bastard now sitting casually on the bed. All the events that happened before I passed out, came rushing back to me.

Sasuke simply looked at me, his eyes scanning me thoroughly from head to toe. "Lucine." he spoke, not calling out for me, just saying my name as if in disbelief that I was there. He stood up as well, seemingly making his way towards me.

"Don't you dare." I spat, backing into the wall.

Sasuke kept walking, now only some few steps in front of me. His hand reached out till the tips of his fingers where touching my cheek, and I had the urge to bite off his hand. Instead I decided to stand there, glaring at him silently. He kidnapped me, and he was going to tell me why.

"You've grown even more beautiful." he breathed as he grasped a string off my hair, his eyes longingly looking into mine. My glare hardened for every word he spoke, but I did not answer. "I have brought you back to me, Lucine. I am finally strong enough to have you by my si-"

I interrupted him with a slap to the face, using all my strength to it. Surprisingly, he seemed unfazed, his face only turned slightly to the side, but the mark was still there. Red and already starting to swell. "I hate you." although I meant every word, my voice came out calmly and apathetic.

Hearing this, he visibly flinched. "No you don't." he denied, looking at me with a blank gaze, as if he was convinced this was true. "I... guess I deserved that, for not taking you sooner. But we are together now, and nothing is coming between us again."

I raised him hand to slap him again, but this time he caught my hand. His eyes flashed dangerously as he pulled me to him, "Don't be difficult, Lucine." he growled, so close I could feel his breath on my face. He had gotten a lot taller, the top of my head barely reached his nose. Then again, Sasuke has always been taller than me.

It was only then that I truly noticed how much he had changed. His face had matured, not only in appearance but his eyes as well. They were much colder, and his face was completely stoic. What stood out was the tender gaze in his eyes when he looked at me.

He was very well-built, and over all, power just radiated from him. He had clearly grown very powerful, probably stronger than me, and that worried me. Before, I was strong enough to defend myself and hold my own. Even though I had trained a lot while he was gone, I have a feeling that I won't stand a chance if we were to fight, which we most certainly will.

He brought me closer to him, my body pressed flush against him. I started struggling in his arms, trying to use my legs to kick him. In return, he backed me to the wall and seized both of my wrists, pinning them above my head. "Let go, asshole." I growled, my face callous and emotionless, but my eyes hard as steel.

Sasuke smirked, "Besides your expanded vocabulary, you haven't changed a bit." Holding my wrists with one hand, he brought his other hand up to my chin. "My Lucine." he chanted, as if he was praying. "You can't imagine how much I've missed you. Every day without you was torture, several times I was on the verge of returning to you. You're my world." He brought my hands up to his lips and left trails of kisses on my palms. "Never am I letting you go again." he assured, looking up at me with dark, possessive eyes.

"What a relief." I said sarcastically.

He sighed, his eyes saddening. "I know it will probably take time... but please, please forgive me for leaving you Lucine. You know I only did it for you, for -"

Once again I interrupted him, "You didn't leave me. You abandoned me."

His eyes widened, and he was left without words. He stood still, as if taking in what was just said. I used that opportunity to get out of his grasp, but he was quicker. Before I could react, he placed his hand on the back of my head, then met my lips with his own.

I froze, left without reaction. His lips roamed my own, as if in a rush. It was passionate, but I could feel the desperation he conveyed through the kiss. As much as it annoyed me, I let him do as he pleased, but I did not respond to the kiss.

His lips wandered down to my jaw, leaving sloppy trails of kisses there, and he went farther down to my throat, then to my neck. His hands pulled the collar of my shirt down to my shoulders, almost ripping my shirt open. He then kissed my exposed collar bones, and shoulder. I could feel the groans he let out rumble in his chest, and it made me shiver, out of excitement or disgust, I did not know.

"You're mine." he breathed, his tongue roaming my cleavage, taking in as much skin as possible.

 _This is getting out of hand_ _,_ I thought as his hands were trying to pull down my shirt to expose more of my chest.

Using all of my strength, and adding chakra, I pushed him off me, enough to make him stumble some steps backwards. "That's enough."

My breath hitched when I saw his heated look. His half-lidded eyes were now filled to the brim with lust and desire, I've never seen that look before, and I knew that there is no way he can be contained. It was a mistake to let him touch me like that, I realized, since it had excited him.

 _I need to get away._

Before I could even try to move, he had gripped my wrist and used unbelievable strength, he nearly slung me on the bed. I landed on my back, and quickly tried to roll away, but he was on top of me in an instant. "Don't try to escape me. Consensual or not, I will have you now."


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

| **Uchiha Sasuke** |

"Consensual or not, I will have you now." Her face immediately morphed from annoyance to panic as I said that. The sight made my heart skip yet another beat. My Lucine has grown so beautiful it's almost painful to look at her.

I leaned down to capture her lips, which made her panic once again, "Wait, Sasuke, I-" I of course didn't let her finish, not having the patience. I want her _now_.

My mouth was on hers again, roaming her mouth. It's been so long since I last tasted her like this, my heart was going crazy inside my chest. She was using her hands to push against my chest, but I barely felt it, completely gone in our kiss. Wanting to feel more of her skin, I started to rip her shirt, not having the patience to take it off normally.

Before I could completely rip it, I felt a sharp pain in my lower lip. Immediately I pulled away in surprise, looking down at her in disbelief. _She bit me_. Her eyes were glaring up at me, making her look like a tiny, angry kitten. Completely harmless, or so I thought.

(Suggestive content down below, read at your own risk)

I smirked, licking the blood away slowly. She has grown more feisty and is displaying more emotion. _Did I make her like this?_ The thought only excited me more, my groin twitching in anticipation. I looked down at her with a smirk, which made her frown, as if worried of what will happen next. "I was going to be gentle with you since it's our first time, but you clearly want it _rough,_ you naughty girl."

Not caring anymore, I grasped her shirt, then tore it open, leaving her in a fishnet shirt. Her eyes widened, fumbling to cover herself, but I grasped her wrists and pinned them beside her. My eyes roamed her form hungrily. The fishnet shirt was tight like a second skin, and it let me see all of her, including her pert, pink nipples peeking through the shirt. This is the first time I've seen her bare like this, so I took my time to copy the image in my mind permanently. "You're beautiful." I whispered, moving my lips on top of her nipple, kissing it through the fishnet shirt.

She squirmed beneath me and let out a low gasp, "S-stop."

In amusement, I looked up at her. Her cheeks had turned bright red, and her eyes were tightly shut. I smiled at her cuteness. _She's embarrassed._ "Don't be shy, Lucine."

| **Kudozaki Lucine** |

 _This is really, really bad. He has me in an iron grip, I can't even get out of his grasp_ , I thought. _I don't know how to get out of this situation. I'm completely helpless_.

His hands wandered under my fishnet shirt and up to my breasts, which made me bite my lip. I felt humiliated. The only one who has seen me this exposed is Itachi, and that's just because he watches me while I bathe or change clothes (without my permission). He let go of my wrists to fiddle with my shirt, and I went back to pushing against his chest, but it was like pushing a wall.

The moan that left my lips when he massaged my breasts made my skin prickle in disgust and him smirk down at me. I am _not_ enjoying this, but my body doesn't seem to register that. _I need to think of a way to get away_. When he finally tore my fishnet shirt open, so I was now completely exposed, I reacted. "Sasuke, wait just a second." I tried to keep his attention on something else, to buy time. "Take off your shirt first." I nearly cringed by my words, but it may serve as a distraction.

He let out a low chuckle that rumbled in his chest, "Don't get too eager. I want you bare for me first." He took one nipple between his lips, sucking and biting on it. My body, seemingly having a mind of its own, reacted by arching my back and letting out a moan. His tongue licked all over my chest, until going up to my neck, leaving marks there, all the while his hands were roaming my body, one caressing my thighs. "You are mine." he repeated over and over again against my neck, while licking a certain spot that made me squirm harder under him.

I turned my head away from him, trying to keep my cool despite what his touches were doing to my mind. If I don't stop this now I'm afraid he might actually get what he wants. While he was sucking and biting on my neck, I let my eyes wander around the room, trying to see if there was something I could use. That's when I caught sight of my backpack. It laid on a chair, against the wall.

An idea popped into my head. _If I could get to my pack, I could grab the chakra crystal, and it'll warn Itachi that I'm here. But how am I supposed to get to it when Sasuke won't get off me?_ A cold shiver ran down my spine. _I suppose there is only one way._

I moved my hands away from his chest and instead held his head to make him look up at me. He thought I was fighting him, so he grasped my wrists. Before he could pull my wrists away, I moved his face up to mine and pressed my mouth against his. This clearly caught him off-guard, because he stiffened. This is the first time I've kissed him, so I understand his surprise. I didn't use any tongue, I simply moved my lips against his, holding them there for some seconds before pulling away, still cupping his cheeks between my hands.

His eyes were slightly wide as he looked down at me, his hands now on either side of me. I forced a smirk on my face, "You've been in control long enough, it's my turn." I shifted my legs, trying to roll us over so I was on top, and he let me. I laid now above him, straddling his waist with my legs, and my hands on his chest. I bent down and whispered in his ear, "Let me pleasure you."

Sasuke visibly shivered, grabbing my hips as response. I bit his earlobe, sucking and licking there, making him let out grunts. Obviously, I was acting. I need him to let his guard down enough for me to get to my bag, grab the crystal, and crush it. It won't summon Itachi, but it'll tell him my location and he'll understand that I'm in trouble.

I moved my lips down to his neck, leaving hickeys like he did on me. Seduction was not something I was unfamiliar with, and I knew that sometimes it was necessary, like now, despite my own feelings. Before I could take off his shirt, he cupped my cheeks and met my lips again, his tongue entering my mouth. _Shit, now I have no choice but to kiss back_.

His tongue enveloped mine, urging me to reciprocate, which I did. I met his tongue with as much force, both of us trying to dominate the other, a fight which I won. For the first time in my life, I let my tongue roam his mouth willingly, while I let my hands run down his chest. He was letting out moans, his hands in my hair, pulling me closer.

My skin crawled, and although I was disgusted, I was mostly annoyed. All I want to do know is smash his head against a wall, I will never forgive him for deserting me, and instead I'm forced to make out with him.

Only after running out of breath did I pull away, looking down at him with my blank eyes, but with a forced smirk on my lips. He was looking up at me with a completely new look in his eyes, although lust was still there, there was another emotion that was more dominating. _Love_. "Lucine." Sasuke breathed, smiling up at me while brushing a string of my hair behind my ear. "Does this mean that you forgive me?"

I tensed slightly by his infuriating words, but I masked it with a sigh. "Of course." I lied.

He smiled widely, pulling me down for another kiss, which I quickly responded to. This one was shorter than the last one. "I love you." he said, leaving kisses all over my face, "I love you, Lucine."

For a split second, maybe not even that, I felt my stomach do a flip by the sincerity of his words, by the emotion and passion he conveyed through those three simple words. It almost made me feel guilty, but the feeling quickly went away, as if it wasn't even there. _I hate him_ , I reminded myself.

"I know." I said simply caressing his cheek lovingly. I pecked his cheeks, saying the words that I knew would make him let his guard down completely, "Make love to me, Sasuke."

Lust was back in his eyes again, but this time he was smiling. I captured his lips again, now with a different intention. While he was busy kissing back, I started molding chakra in my hands, then formed my hand into fists. Quickly, I pulled away from the kiss, lifting my fist into the air. Before he could react, I pulled away from the kiss and punched him in the face with all my strength. The bed beneath us broke down by the force, and his head was thrown back.

Faster than he could even register the punch, I flipped away from the bed, landing next to my bag. I had at least five seconds before he'll recover from the punch. I had to let his guard down for me to be able to mold the chakra, or he'd notice what my intention was. In a second, I had fished the crystal ball out of my bag, and held it high in the air, with the full intention to throw it on the ground, crushing it to pieces and alerting Itachi.

Before I could bring my hand down, I was harshly thrown against a wall, my wrist seized in someone's iron grip. I let out a curse, knowing it was Sasuke. _I was too slow._

Sasuke held my wrist pinned against the wall, the one who who was holding the chakra crystal, while his other hand was dangerously wrapped around my throat. His Sharingan eyes were furiously looking into mine, betrayal evident in his eyes. "What is this." he snapped, snatching the crystal ball from my hand.

I kept quiet, disappointed with myself that I had failed. _I underestimated him_. Sighing, I looked up at him with a blank expression.

His eyes were narrowed, glaring at me with pure fury. "You lied to me?" The rage in his voice nearly made me shiver. Obviously, he's angry at me for tricking him, probably feeling betrayed. I decided not to say anything, not wanting to piss him off further. Although hard for me to admit, it's obvious he's way, way stronger than me. Now that he's furious at me I'm a little concerned about what he's going to do to me. "ANSWER ME!" he screamed in my face.

Fuck it. Saying nothing will just make it worse. "I'll never forgive you, Sasuke. _Never._ And you're a fool to have believed me so easily." I spat, giving him a cold, emotionless stare. I spoke nothing but the truth. _Idiot._

For some reason, the room suddenly felt colder. Something in Sasuke changed then. His eyes were now hard as steel, while his Sharingan spun wildly, and my heart started beating faster against my chest. "You'll pay for this." he growled dangerously, and for real this time, I feared for my life.

 _Did I make a mistake?_ Before I could contemplate that thought, I felt everything go black, once again drifting off to unconsciousness.


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer** **:** _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

 **| Kudozaki Lucine** |

The feeling of fingers running through my scalp was what made me wake up from my heavy, dreamless sleep. It felt nice, but slightly unnerving, because I felt another hand on my thigh that was moving up by the second. Quickly I opened my eyes, and tried to analyze my surroundings. It was a difficult task, because my head was throbbing and I still felt tired, too tired. When my vision cleared completely, I met dark onyx eyes that were directly looking at me, of course I recognized him immediately.

"I see you're not a heavy sleeper anymore." he said with an amused smirk, as if he had a secret.

"What..." I coughed, my throat dry and raspy, as if I hadn't had any water for months. Slowly and with a lot of difficulty, I sat up. We were in the same room, lying on a new bed this time. To my relief, I was wearing a shirt, although it wasn't mine. "What did you do to me?"

He frowned, and held up a glass of water. "I overdid the genjutsu, you've been asleep for a whole day."

Reluctantly, I accepted the water and drank it all in one gulp. "Then why do I feel so tired, I..." My breath hitched in my throat. _I can't access my chakra._ "What the fuck did you do you piece of-"

He interrupted me with a kiss on the lips, just a slight peck, but it was enough to make me shut my mouth. "Shh. You were a bad girl, Lucine. So I suppressed your chakra with a seal. It's what you get for lying to me like that." he glared at me, it was cold and it made me glare back at him.

"I hate you." I said emotionlessly, hoping it would hurt him. It did, because he visibly winced, but it quickly turned into anger.

In a second, he had me tackled on the bed. "Enough, Lucine. I want to be patient with you, but you still want to be difficult."

That's surprising. Itachi was right, he really has changed. The old Sasuke would never snap at me like this, he has never truly been angry at me, and that worries me. Sasuke is not a kid anymore, and neither am I. He was already about to... Shivers ran down my back, as I looked up at him with a scowl. _This is bad. Where is Itachi when I actually need him_.

"I. Hate. You." I repeated, despite the fact that now I was slightly reluctant to test him like this. He's stronger than me, and without my chakra I'm vulnerable. _This is really bad._

Sasuke's eyes flashed dangerously, with both pain and anger. For a second, he looked like he was going to do something, but he didn't. He sighed and shook his head, "I can't be angry at you. I know you're just saying those words to hurt me, like I hurt you when I left the village."

I smoothly kept my face passive, pretending that his words didn't affect me. "You know nothing about anything."

He smirked smugly, as if he knew that he was right. _I hate him,_ I repeated in my mind, wanting to kick his face in. Sasuke sighed and laid down next to me on his side, forcing me into his chest, so he held me securely. I didn't even bother fighting him.

"I forgive you for lying to me. I knew you were, and still are, angry." he said while caressing the exposed skin of my lower back. _Thank God you forgave me_ , I thought sarcastically, but too lazy to say it out loud. "But now, I've got some questions for you." he kissed the top of my head, as if we were lovers simply cuddling in bed. It annoyed me. He abandoned me, and he thinks he can just do whatever he wants. "Yesterday when you punched me, you immediately reached for a small blue ball of crystal, filled with foreign chakra. When I investigated the chakra inside it, it was unidentifiable. What was it?"

I frowned, knowing I couldn't tell him. His relationship with Itachi is not at it's best and I don't want to deal with angsty Sasuke now. "I won't say anything."

"Figured." he sighed, and buried his nose in my hair, taking a long sniff, it made me sick. "It's not important anymore, I destroyed it."

I perked up, looking up at his eyes, "You broke it?"

He nodded, and moved his face towards to kiss me, but I turned around, my back now against his chest. Surprisingly, he let me have my way, and instead spooned me from behind. I as well let him do this without putting up a fight, partly because it wouldn't change my fate, but mostly because I had a chance now. Sasuke crushed the chakra crystal, which means Itachi knows I'm in trouble. Although he won't know my current location, since I didn't insert my chakra in the crystal, it will still notify him. It's only a matter of time before he'll show up and save me, the useless damsel in distress, unfortunately.


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer : **_I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

 **Kudozaki Lucine**

The way he was staring so intently at me as I ate was annoying, but it didn't distract me from finishing the onigiri. His eyes were watching my every move, like the way I chewed and swallowed the rice balls. Only when I was done did I meet his eyes to give him a dull look, not in the mood to say anything witty.

He smirked and stood up, grasping my wrist on the way so I'd stand up with him, "Since you're done, let's go and take a bath."

I narrowed my eyes, "Both of us?" He nodded, an lead me away from the table, towards a door that I assumed lead to a bathroom, which made my belly flip nervously, not exactly keen on this brilliant idea of his. "I refuse." I tried, not too sure how to get out of this situation. _Where the fuck are you Itachi_.

Sasuke ignored my half-hearted protest and just opened the door, nudging me inside, which made me glare at him. He closed the door behind him, and strolled to a nearby bathtub, turning the knob, so that the tub would fill with warm water. When he turned around, he gave me an expectant look. It only took me a split-second to understand that he expected me to strip. A blank stare was all I offered.

"If you want me to undress you I'd more than happy to oblige." he stated smoothly, smirking when my eyes narrowed into slits, glaring at him with all the hate I could muster.

"Did I mention that I hate you?" I repeated for the hundredth time that day, but I noticed that each time I said that he visibly flinched, and it never failed to fill me with satisfaction.

His smirk was now gone, replaced with a serious look. "Strip. Now." he ordered, obviously growing impatient.

I bit my lip, knowing very well this was inevitable. "...Turn around first." I said lowly, not as confident anymore. The amusement in his eyes was obvious, but shockingly, he obliged and turned his back to me. In embarrassment, I turned around as well, and quickly proceeded to lift the shirt over my head and slide off my underwear, there wasn't much to undress. Now I was completely bare. _After Itachi rescues me, I'll kill him._

When I turned around again, I felt my stomach do a flip, as Sasuke had already turned around and was looking directly at me. The hungry and lustful look in his eyes stood out like a sore thumb, giving me a predator-like look. I felt strangely self-conscious, and I couldn't help but squirm under his smoldering, scrutinizing gaze. Naked and vulnerable, in front of Sasuke of all people. A blush formed on my cheeks when I felt his eyes on my breasts, the humiliation was too much.

"You're glorious, Lucine. Pure perfection." he said under his breath, walking up to me and looking into my eyes with that disgustingly sweet look in those obsidian orbs. "Regardless of you wearing clothes or not, you're still beautiful." He cupped my cheek, about to lean in for a kiss, but I turned my head away.

"Just take off your clothes." I said, trying to sound unfeeling, but it came out meekly, which made me close my eyes in humiliation.

I could hear the smirk in his voice, "Getting eager, I see." he reached for the hem of his shirt, which made me turn away and head for the bathtub, quickly I got in the water, just wanting to get this over with. Intentionally, I avoided looking at Sasuke as he undressed, I couldn't bear it.

Behind me, I felt Sasuke get in the water, immediately enveloping me with his arms and pressing my back against his chest. I growled lowly in complaint, but didn't struggle. Sasuke let out a content sigh, "I've missed you so much. Just you and me, alone. You're my entire world." he whispered in my ear, nipping slightly at my earlobe.

At first I kept silent, trying to think of something else, just wanting this moment to end. But I couldn't help but ask. "Why did you have to leave the village to achieve this then? As I recall, there are bathtubs in Konoha too."

"You know why, I wanted power. Something Konoha couldn't offer. Now I am strong enough to protect you, and kill Itachi." he said the last part darkly, which made me frown. _He has no idea that Itachi is now my lover._ For some strange reason, I felt a slight, small tint of guilt. But I quickly quenched it, knowing I had no reason to feel guilty. _He abandoned me_ , I reminded myself. As if he had read my mind, he continued, "I didn't want to leave you, trust me, that's the last thing I wanted. These past years, there was never a second that passed where you weren't on my mind. Every night, I imagined you lying next to me. Holding me, and singing for me like you did when we were children. Not having you with me was so, _so_ painful. Unbearable. I swear to you, nothing is going to keep me away from you again. I am yours just as much as you are mine." he kissed the back of my neck, his hands caressing my thighs.

"Regardless of what you say, I won't forgive you." I said blankly, ignoring his fondling.

"You will eventually." he said between kisses, one of his hands now rubbing on my inner thigh, which made me stiffen. "Just let me please you, I'll make you forget your anger."

I went tense, as his other hand moved over my breast, flicking the nipple with his finger. "Stop." I growled, ignored the treacherous warmth that was developing in my lower belly. He ignored my demand, and instead rubbed on my inner thigh, dangerously close to my most sacred spot, while his other hand was still gently fondling my breasts. Immediately, my hand seized his wrist that was so close to my crotch. "Don't." It came out weaker than I intended, "Don't do this."

He hushed me softly, his lips leaving a trail of butterfly kisses on my neck. "Don't fight it, I'll make you feel good." As if to prove a point, he started rubbing on my clit, which made me let out a sharp gasp, stunned by my oversensitiveness there. My heartbeat sped up, not welcoming the pleasant shivers than ran down my spine as he continued pleasuring me. His other hand that was kneading my breast sensually sent another pang of sick pleasure through me.

Only when he inserted one finger inside me did I arch my back involuntarily, letting out a low moan, which made shame wash over me. "N-no... ah...sstop.." I let out, biting my lip. His finger inside me grew more insistent, moving in and out steadily which made me arch my back against his chest, clouded by the treacherous passion I felt. For every second, it was growing difficult to remember why I was fighting this.

A second finger joined the first one as his pace fastened, it sent strong jolts of pleasure, to the point that I was completely clouded by the intense lust I felt. I let out a loud moan, my head leaning against his shoulder, breathing heavily. There was a warmth that had developed between my legs, begging to be released. By now, my legs had spread themselves unconsciously to give him more access, and my hips were bucking against his fingers. When he hit an extra sensitive spot, I finally felt myself come, and it made me scream out his name in pleasure. I grasped the arm that was still eagerly cupping my breasts, unable to hold my own weight.

I heard him let out a groan when I screamed out his name. His fingers exited my entrance, and he moved both his hands on my waist. Easily, he stood up, holding me by the waist, then carried me bridal style as he walked out of the bathtub, and made his way back to the bedroom. Kicking the door open, he moved towards the bed that was against the wall, and then let me down on the bed more gently than I thought possible. Before crawling in beside me, he slipped on a pair of pants, then laid down next to me, covering us with the sheets. I felt strangely exhausted, still panting softly and looking up at him through half-lidded eyes.

Sasuke held me against his chest, his hands gently petting my hair, smiling at me with warmth, "You are such a good girl, I knew you'd give in eventually. You seem to like my fingers quite a lot." he said the last part with a smirk.

Too tired to argue with him, I just closed my eyes in embarrassment. He was right. I had shamelessly given in too him, if someone had walked in on us they wouldn't believe that it was against my will. If I hadn't been so tired, I would glare at him, claw at him, hurt him for doing that too me. There was a throbbing between my legs, and I despised myself for silently yearning for more, wanting him to keep pleasuring me sinfully like that. _I hope Itachi never comes for me_ , I thought bitterly, hating the thought of him seeing me like this.

On cue, I heard a loud explosion not too far from here, and the sound of a wall breaking down. It made both me and Sasuke jump, and he quickly got of bed in alarm, reaching for his katana that laid against a wall. I would have stood up too, but I only sat up while holding the covers up to my chest, way too tired to stand. I heard another explosion, and then my eyes widened in realization. _Itachi is here_.


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer : **_I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

 **Uchiha Itachi**

The same second I felt the alert of the chakra crystal, my body filled with dread. Lucine needs my help. Surprisingly, it did not alert me of her location, but I know she crushed it, so she must be in dire need. Currently, I am in the middle of a mission with Kisame. It was not much, simply steal a very valuable vase from some nuke nin.

It would have to wait though, Lucine would not request presence with the use of the crystal unless it was an emergency. _Sasuke probably came back for her_ , I concluded. I suspected he would go after her after he killed Orochimaru. However, I did not know it would be this soon, since I thought he would recruit new members for his team first.

"Kisame, the mission will have to wait. There is something I need to get first." I informed my blue partner, as we both stopped leaping on the branches.

He simply raised a brow in curiosity, but did not ask any questions. Over the years, I have gotten to know Kisame, and I knew he was trustworthy enough to know about Lucine. Although I never give him any details, he is the only one that knows that regularly sneak off to see someone, who or why he doesn't know.

It took a day for me to finally locate Lucine. It was difficult, because Sasuke made sure to hide his tracks, but it wasn't impossible. He was in an underground base, not too far from Hidden Grass village. Kisame accompanied me, so that it would all go smoother. While I kept my little brother busy, he would take Lucine and go.

To get in, I simply bombed an opening. I could sense both my brother's and Lucine's chakra, both in a room not too far away from here. In a flash, we stood in front of the door that lead to their. The moment I kicked open the door, I had to dodge a kunai that was thrown my way.

The sight I met was not pleasant to the eye. On the bed sat a naked Lucine, with only sheets to cover her. And to her side stood a shirtless Sasuke, katana in hand. Rage filled my body, and all I saw was red. My Sharingan blazed dangerously in my eyes as I looked at Sasuke. There was shock written everywhere on his face, which morphed into hurt and betrayal, which for a split second sent a jolt of guilt and regret through me. He was clearly not expecting me, but it his expression was quickly replaced with pure fury. His own Sharingan activated as he charged at me. I had no intention of harming my little brother, but after what he did to my Lucine, he needs to be severely punished.

 **Kudozaki Lucine**

The shame I felt when I saw Itachi standing by the door was undeniable. Of all the opportunities he chose to come and save me, he chose this moment. I wasn't even dressed. His eyes narrowed when he saw me, and he gave Sasuke the deadliest glare I've ever seen him give. Sasuke was looking at Itachi in shock, but the expression was replaced with hurt, betrayal and utter rage. The same expression he had when Itachi massacred the Uchiha clan. It made my stomach churn at the memory. _He didn't deserve to go through that. Neither did Itachi._

Only some short seconds passed before Sasuke was charging at Itachi, with the full intention of killing him, and they both broke out into a fight. _Now's my chance to escape_.

Quickly, I rolled out of bed, wrapping the bed sheets tightly around my body so that I wouldn't have to escape naked, and ran for the door, side-stepping the quarreling brothers. A harsh tug on my wrist turned me around. I looked up, only to see a very tall and very blue man, resembling a shark. He was wearing the same cloak as Itachi, so he must be his partner from Akatsuki. "Excuse me, but I'm trying to escape here." I said impatiently, gesturing to the grip he had on my wrist.

"Let me help you with that." he said with a grin. Before I could even register those words, he grabbed me by the waist and slung me over his shoulder, the sheet wrapped around me almost slid off. In a second, he ran off, with me over his shoulder. I frowned at the unnecessary and uncomfortable position.

"I have legs." I said in annoyance as he made his way through the base. Only now did I actually realize that it was underground. I had my suspicions, but I thought Sasuke just didn't risk any windows.

"This way is faster, as far as I can tell, he suppressed your chakra." the shark-man said as he jumped through a giant hole that lead to the outside, forced open with an explosion. "What's your name anyways, kid?"

The nickname was annoying, but I didn't care enough to comment on it. "Lucine." I said casually, shifting a little on his shoulder to get comfortable. His shoulders were pretty broad so there was a lot of space. He did not say anything more after that and neither did I. So we, or rather he, traveled in silence.

It took about 30 minutes before he stopped, but I knew he had traveled a pretty far distance and we were several miles away from Sasuke's base. There I saw an abandoned shelter that was probably a hundreds year old. Kisame kicked open the door and walked in, letting me down in a surprisingly gentle way. "We can stay here for awhile, while we wait for Itachi." he said and looked down at me. "My name is Kisame by the way."

"Don't care." I said while scanning my surroundings. It was pretty dark, and small. In the corner of my eye I saw that there was a splatter of dried blood on the walls, and the entire place smelled pretty musty. _I wonder if this place has any clothes that I can use_.

Kisame rolled his eyes, "Worse than Itachi," he murmured under his breath. It seemed like only now did he take in my appearance, since he questioningly raised an eyebrow, "Why are you naked?"

"I'm a nudist." I answered with a shrug, not having any intention to explain the real reason.

He just raised an eyebrow, knowing that I was "joking", "Just wait here, kid. Itachi will probably be here soon." he said then walked off, disappearing into some hallway.

Meanwhile, I sat down on the cushion by a chabudai. I closed my eyes and tried to access my chakra, only to feel a slight electrocution. Somehow, my chakra has been sealed in a way that makes it impossible to mold. _Goddammit Sasuke_.

My mind drifted off to Gaara and my mission. I've never really considered why Gaara would want me to visit him, nor do I care. _I should have been in Suna long ago. He has probably already sent a message to Konoha, so I need to make up some kind of excuse to why I am late_. My mind then went over to Naruto. _I wonder what that idiot is doing now. Did he find someone else to bother? Does he miss me?_ Strangely enough, I did not necessarily miss him, but I felt an undeniable emptiness without his obnoxious presence.

"Lucine." my name was called out behind me. I turned around to see Itachi, looking down at me with a impassive expression. He was relatively unharmed, not a single scratch on him. His Sharingan was still blazing in his eyes though.

Holding the sheet up to my chest to keep it from falling I stood up, "What did you do to him?"

He shrugged, and instead took one step closer to me, so that I was almost pressed up close to him, I had to crane my neck slightly to look up at him. His eyes narrowed slightly at the corners of his eyes, as his hands fell on top of my bare shoulders. "What did he do to you?" Copying his earlier action, I shrugged, which made him frown in irritation. "I don't feel patient today, Lucine. Tell me, or I'll rid you of this sheet and find out myself."

Knowing he was not one to give out empty threats I sighed, and turned away from him. There is no way I can look him in the eye and tell him. "Unseal my chakra first."

In the corner of my eye I saw him raise a hand to form a handseal that was unfamiliar to me, and after some seconds I felt a slight breeze. Letting out a gasp, I felt my chakra come back to me, it was slightly overwhelming so I wobbled on my feet. His grip on my shoulders tightened to keep me steady, "Now tell me." It was a command, and I knew his patience was running out.

Humiliation coursed through me again. "He didn't go all the way." I hesitated, not knowing how to word this to him, "He tried once, but..." Shaking off his hands, I moved back onto the cushion on the tatami to sit. He copied my move, sitting right in front of me. It was quiet for a while, I looked down at my lap with a blank stare, while he looked expectantly at me.

"Just tell me." he reassured, "Don't feel embarrassed around me." he said softly, brushing a string of hair behind my ear.

"All he did was..." I closed my eyes in sheer embarrassment, his words did not bring me any comfort. Never have I been humiliated like how Sasuke did before. _He was so close to actually steal something from me_. Taking a deep breath, I finished the damned sentence. "He just touched me."

His eyes narrowed dangerously, and I saw his Sharingan spin furiously. It was at moments like this where he was the scariest. Completely silent, simply observing the pure rage in his eyes, promising a world of pain for whoever crossed him. Even though I know he is probably the most powerful and dangerous shinobi I know of, he did not intimidate me.

Itachi was quiet for a while, staring at a certain spot on the wall for what seemed like ages. Sighing in annoyance, I cupped his cheeks and made him look back at me. "Deactivate your Sharingan." he complied wordlessly. When his eyes changed back to those onyx orbs, and without a word, I pressed my lips against his. He was momentarily stunned, but it only took him a split-second for him to return the kiss. I pulled away far enough for me to whisper against his lips, "He was close to taking me, Itachi. He almost stole something that belongs to you."

His hands moved down to my waist to pull my body closer. His eyes darkened again, but this time with a completely new emotion. "You're mine." he said in a gentle whisper.

I nodded. "That's why, I want you to _take_ me. I want you to officially make me yours, before someone else does it. I want you to..." I moved closer, whispering words in his ear that couldn't be said out loud. He visibly shivered because of my ungraceful words. His hands tightened around my waist, until I was straddling him on his lap. "I am giving myself to you."

No more words needed to be said. In an instant, his mouth was back on mine again, his tongue already halfway inside my mouth. My hands found their way to his shoulders, tugging on his Akatsuki cloak. It only took him a second to shrug it off. As if in a rush, his mouth moved down to my jaw, then down to my neck, while his hands were traveling up my thighs that were now exposed. When he reached the hem of the sheet, he tugged on it, but before he could rip it to shreds, a loud cough echoed behind us.

I immediately pulled away from Itachi, looking up to see Kisame staring at us awkwardly. "At least find a room first, this way anybody can walk in on you."

Itachi seemed annoyed, and judging from the way he was leaning in on to go in for another kiss, I knew that he had the full intention to continue his actions even though Kisame stood right there watching us. I got off his lap before he had the chance. "I need to get to Suna. The Kazekage will be questioning my absence." I said to change the subject.

A low growl rumbled in Itachi's chest, still not happy about being interrupted, but he stood up nevertheless. He gave me a smoldering, heated look. As if saying 'This is is not over'. Until he gestured towards a pile of clothes that laid on a small table against the wall. "On the way here, I brought a change of clothes that you can use." he said reluctantly. I sighed, once again tightening the sheet around my body. _Maybe I got a little carried away._

* * *

 **[ A/N** : You didn't get to see what Lucine whispered in Itachi's ear, so I'll leave it to your imagination. Although I suppose we all know what she asked of him, you little perverts. Also, I'd like to thank everyone who either favorited/followed or reviewed. The fact that someone out there is reading the story and enjoying it never fails to bring me joy, I am truly grateful to each and everyone of you **]**


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer** **:** _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

 **Kudozaki Lucine**

After some minutes of arguing, Itachi managed to convince me to stay at this abandoned old house, and instead leave for Suna tomorrow at dawn. Currently we were in a room, about to go to sleep. Of course, Itachi would not let me sleep by myself. I suspected he wanted to continue where we left of hours ago before Kisame interrupted us. But I believe I got a little carried away. I really don't fancy the idea of someone taking my virginity by force.

Still... there was the risk that Sasuke would kidnap me again. On top of that, now he knows that I am somehow connected to Itachi, since he came to rescue me. If, or rather _when_ , Sasuke gets to me again, he won't be as careless.

"You know he'll come for me again." I said, looking up at the ceiling. Itachi laid next to me, one arm snugly wrapped around my waist. "And it won't be as easy to rescue me." Itachi didn't speak, he only tightened his hold on me. He can't promise that he will protect me, because he can't always be with me. He is part of Akatsuki now. I need to take care of myself. "Train me, Itachi." I said, looking back at me to see him stare at me with the same intensity as always. "He is far stronger than I expected, I need to train to be be able to fend him off on my own."

"Even if you start training now, it won't be enough." he said solemnly, a frown marred on his flawless features. Even when he is expressionless like this, he is so handsome. I let my hand run through his silky hair. He and Sasuke both, they've always been so handsome and perfect. Way to make a dent on a girl's self-confidence. Although, Itachi was at his most radiant form when he smiled. He smiles at me, sometimes, but I remembered how much he used to smile when we were children, before the massacre. My mind drifted off to the night Itachi committed the Uchiha Massacre.

I frowned, dread filling me. He hasn't told me the complete truth. I know that he didn't want to do it, but I don't know why he did it. There was a reason to why he would slay every single Uchiha, but somehow he was hesitant to tell me. It was annoying, since it's the only thing he refuses to tell me. All he says is, "I don't want that burden on your shoulders." I didn't have the slightest idea of what it meant, but I knew that it was a secret that was eating him from the inside. A secret that would likely eat at me as well if I knew of it.

"When you killed Mikoto-san and Fugaku-san," I started, taking in his reaction before continuing. He remained aloof, he knew how to manipulate and conceal his emotions. "It hurt, didn't it? That's why you were crying."

He was quiet, and if he wasn't looking so intently at me, I would suspect that he didn't hear me. But he spoke at last, "It was one of the most painful things I've ever done." he answered, awfully honest.

Again, I remembered the night. He was crying. He looked exhausted, both physically and mentally.

* * *

 _My stomach churned at the sight. There were corpses everywhere, blood splattered the ground and the walls, no sign of life. The lifeless eyes of a random Uchiha that I had a brief conversation with mere weeks ago stared up at me, his throat slit open. The blood was still oozing out, and his body temperature was probably still warm._

 _By now, Sasuke was breathing heavily next to me, utter terror in his eyes. "W-what..." he gasped out, taking a step back._

 _I frowned, looking around for any sign of Mikoto, Fugaku or Itachi. "What happened here?" I muttered in disbelief, feeling disturbed by all these corpses. This is the first time I've witnessed a carnage like this._

 _Sasuke widened his eyes, as if he realized, "Okaa-san and Otou-san, t-they must be with Aniki!" he said shakily. My blood ran cold at the thought of any of them butchered like this._ There is no way.

 _Quickly, Sasuke sprinted off to the house, further in the compounds and into the main branch. I jogged behind him, dreading the sight that was awaiting us. I didn't have the slightest clue of what was going on around here._ Who would do something like this?

 _When we made it home, Sasuke slammed the door open, rushing inside. Abruptly, he stopped, almost making me run into his back. Sasuke went tense, and it immediately made shivers run down my back. Slowly, I stepped around him, and my eyes were immediately met with the sight._

 _There on the floor, a few meters away from us laid the bodies of Mikoto and Fugaku, in a pool of their own blood_. " _God..." I gasped, covering my mouth. My eyes went to Sasuke, who couldn't look away. "Sasuke, don't look." I tried, holding onto his arm to turn him to me. He didn't budge. He stood there paralyzed, with his eyes glued on the dead bodies of his parents. I knew what he was feeling right now, I felt the same thing when I saw my father's corpse. "Don't look." I persisted, my voice came out more shakily than I intended as I pulled on his arm._

 _"Sasuke." a silvery voice of steel called out for him, on the other side of the room. My breath hitched in my throat, and it felt like something was constricting me from getting any air to my lungs._ No. He wouldn't.

 _"A-aniki..." Sasuke said while choking as he finally looked up to meet the gaze of his brother. Itachi stood above the pair of dead bodies, clothed in his ANBU uniform and a katana in hand, splattered in blood. "W-who did... what..." he didn't even find the words to speak, obviously not believing that Itachi was responsible for this._

 _For the first time in years, I felt tears well up in my eyes._ No, that can't be. Itachi would not do this. There must be some kind of mistake _. "Itachi, what-... what happened..." my voice came out as a choke, as I looked up at him through blurry eyes. I haven't cried since that time I told Itachi of my father. Tears never came easy for me, yet my eyes were already filled to the brim._

 _"Foolish little brother," Itachi said, a cruel smirk on his face. It stood out from his usually warm, loving onyx eyes. That smirk didn't fit. It didn't belong. The person that is standing before me, that is not Itachi. "I was just testing my abilities."_

 _Before I could even properly register what was happening, Sasuke broke out into a scream and was cowering on the floor. He fell on his knees, clutching his head as he cried out an ear piercing scream. I dropped to my knees next to him, "Sasuke!" I called out, panic coursing through my body. When I looked up, I saw Itachi looking straight at him with his blazing Sharingan, and that was when I knew. "What are you doing to him, you monster?" I growled, while blinking away any tears before they were shed._

 _Itachi met my eyes, and for a moment, I expected him to cast me under the same genjutsu. But he didn't. He simply looked at me with an unreadable and blank expression for what seemed like forever. Only when Sasuke let out another scream was when I looked back at him, wrapping my arms around him to calm him. "Sasuke, calm down!" I screamed out, not knowing what to do. Itachi has put him under a genjutsu._ _Whatever he is seeing, it is torturing his mind_. _Suddenly, his screams had died out, and he went limp in my arms. Tears running freely down his cheeks, while foam left his mouth. "Sasuke!" I choked, hugging him to my chest. He had passed out. "Sasuke, wake up!" I shook him, but he remained deathly still._

 _I glared up at Itachi, who was still giving us a blank look, he almost looked bored. I felt the rage course through me. "Why." I bit out, my voice hard and cold. "Why." I repeated, letting Sasuke gently down on the floor and standing up. "Why?!" I screamed this time, the hate I felt right now was clouding my vision._ He... he betrayed... he... traitor...

 _Before I could charge up at him, with the full intention of hurting him despite not being armed, I froze in my tracks. A tear had rolled down Itachi's eyes. He was crying. His face remained terribly aloof, and his demeanor was relaxed, but the tears were unmistakably there. The room became horribly quiet then. Neither of us said a word._

 _None of this was making any sense. I don't know what to think. The silence was so thick, so tense. It was unbearable. "Why did you do this, Itachi?" I was awfully calm as I spoke, despite the turmoil of emotions I was currently going through._

 _He didn't answer, he kept looking back at me while his Sharingan kept spinning. Suddenly, he moved. His steps were short but fast and fluid, as he stepped around the corpses', around me and Sasuke, and then out of the door. Without thinking much, I glanced once at Sasuke's unconscious figure, before I followed Itachi quietly. He walked out of the house, towards the gates. I followed him as if I was I didn't have a mind of my own. Maybe I didn't, not anymore at least._

 _He stopped close to the gates of the compound, turning back to me. The tears were dried now, and the only visible emotion on his face was a frown. I looked back up at him impassively, willing him to speak. "I am leaving the village." he announced, speaking for the first time._

 _For a second I nearly flinched, pained by this new information, but I quickly covered it up with a cold, indifferent look. "You slaughter the clan, your parents, you torture Sasuke, and now you're leav-"_

 _"Come with me." he interrupted, my breath caught in my throat again. I checked his face for any sign of all of this just being one big, bad joke of his. But there was no humor in his expression. "Sasuke can take care of himself, this will only make him stronger. Just, please let me take you with me. Grant me this one selfish wish. "_

 _I kept quiet, choosing to watch his expression falter as he begged me. There was obvious pain and desperation in his eyes, too much for even him to conceal. He looked defeated, dead. I don't understand anything anymore. Nothing was making sense. This was all a blur. Itachi betrayed the clan, his parents, Sasuke, me. He murdered his own kin, seemingly to test his abilities, as he said himself. He is a traitor, yet he is asking me to leave with him._

 _"I want you to get as far away as possible." I started calmly, his eyes were pleadingly looking into mine now, silently begging me to not finish my words, "I want you to stay out Sasuke's life and out of my life." I glared at him with the same emotionless look that I hadn't used for ages. "And never, ever show your traitorous face here again."_

 _Itachi let out a choked sob, and he looked like he was about to cry again, which only angered me further. I was about to scream more insults at him, but when I made eye contact with his Sharingan, everything went black and I felt all my limbs go limp. The last sensation I felt before I lost consciousness completely, was the feel of the softest lips against my own._

* * *

"Don't think about that." Itachi interrupted my reminiscing. I had spaced out for a while, and he understood that I was recalling the events of the Uchiha Massacre. That time, Itachi had knocked me out with his Sharingan, but spared me from any painful genjutsu, like the one he had cast on Sasuke, forcing him to see how he killed his parents. Later that night, I had woken up in a hospital bed with a familiar crystal ball in hand, while Sasuke still laid unconscious in a bed next to mine.

Only now do I regret what I said. Who knows what Itachi went through when he killed them all. There was a motive behind his actions, and it had obviously hurt him, otherwise he wouldn't have been crying, and I didn't make it any easier on him when I reacted like that. On top of that, he has to live with Sasuke's hate for him.

Shifting position, I turned around so that I was wrapped up in his arms, my head resting on his chest. "Sorry." I muttered while closing my eyes.

He knew what I was apologizing for. "Don't." he whispered. His hand had moved on top of my head, his fingers threading through my hair. "Never forgive me."

 _There is nothing to forgive_. I chose not to say my thoughts out loud, already knowing he wouldn't accept my apology. "Be selfish once in a while. Let me help you carry your burden."

I felt his other hand move under my shirt to rub circles on my lower back. "I am already very selfish, permitting myself to hold you like this. I know of my brother's love for you, yet I can't hand you over to him." He successfully evaded my probing, once again refusing to tell me the truth. Truthfully, it was irritating how selfless he was.

"You're an annoying piece of sh-"

"Just sleep."

* * *

 **A/N** : A flashback chapter, of The Uchiha Massacre. Were you surprised by Lucine's unusual display of emotion? It can be explained. After Lucine's father's death, all her emotions died with him. But over the years, the Uchiha family had made her happy enough to feel again, mainly Itachi and Sasuke, each in their own way. With Itachi's "betrayal" however, she returned to how she once was, and Sasuke's little obsession just worsened things.

In the next chapters we'll meet Gaara again, I know some of you really like him.


	36. Chapter 36

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto

 **A/N:** You've probably forgotten what this entire story was about so I'm just going to give a quick summary of the plot so you won't have to reread the entire thing again:

Lucine, a very stoic 12 year-old girl that rarely expresses strong emotions, has lived with Sasuke for years, and over time he had developed an unhealthy obsession on her. She has had to live with his rather possessive and affectionate ways, things seemingly only worsening after graduation. They are both placed in Team 7, and Sasuke finds it challenging to protect his Lucine that is several times placed in dangerous situations, and he believes he does not possess the power to protect her, this only furthering his descend into insanity.

In the Chunin Exams they encountered, among other things, Sabaku no Gaara who seemingly also developed a liking for our heroine Lucine. Yet nothing happened out of this, as he is from another village, but it was still enough to shake up Sasuke's and Lucine's relationship. Sasuke left the village in pursuit for power with the goal to protect his love Lucine and also to kill his brother Itachi, despite Lucine's attempt to stop his departure. It is then revealed that Lucine has a past with Itachi, where they've been engaged (Sasuke is not aware of this fact). Lucine asked Itachi to retrieve Sasuke, but as this would be pointless since he would most likely leave again, they decided instead that Itachi keep watch on Sasuke, to keep herself updated on what he does. Itachi wouldn't do this for free though, in return Lucine had to be with him.

A timeskip later, Lucine is now 16, and over time she has grown closer to Naruto, and also Itachi. Itachi regularly visits her and updates her with news on Sasuke, and they are currently engaged in a romantic relationship. Not a soul knows of this relationship, as they both could be executed for treason by their respective leaders (Akatsuki and Konoha).

Recently in the story, Lucine has been assigned a solo mission by the Kazekage, Gaara, himself. She has to travel to Suna, for reasons unknown. However, on the trip to Suna she is abducted by Sasuke. She learns that his sanity had only worsened by the time spent away from her, and he fully intended to have Lucine's virginity, whether she liked it or not. He didn't get to do this though, since Itachi (and his partner Kisame) came to the rescue, thus revealing that Lucine and Itachi are connected somehow. However, Lucine and Itachi are worried Sasuke will come after her again, and so it continues.

For now though, Lucine has to continue her mission, she has to go to Suna and meet with the Kazekage.

* * *

 **Kudozaki Lucine**

We were fifty miles away from Suna, I could make it there in an hour or less. The intention was for me to leave alone, but Itachi insisted on accompanying me me all the way here, in case Sasuke caught me. I didn't argue with him, knowing no would see us. No one is more cautious than Itachi.

"Now leave." I said in a dismissive tone, ignoring the annoyed look he gave me. "I am late as it is, and I don't plan of telling them the truth to my tardiness."

He grasped my wrist tightly before I could get away, his dark eyes smoldering me with their intensity. His arms wrapped around me, so that I was pressed up against him, "When you return from Suna, we're getting married." he said with a completely straight face.

The sudden outburst took me longer than necessary to process, simply due to the absurdity. "I think you might have to repeat that." I replied monotonously, giving him a chance to take back his words.

"Don't worry about the Akatsuki or your village, I've got it all figured out. I'll tell you later." he explained smoothly, as if he expected my reaction. The hands on my hips were now drawing circles on my lower back.

Itachi looked way too calm after spluttering that nonsense. I genuinely believed that he had really lost his mind now. _Marriage? Just what is Itachi thinking?_ "I refuse. That's insane. I'll be shunned by own villa-"

"I already told you." he sighed, patting my lower lip with his finger. "I got this under control." Before I could open my mouth to explain the many reasons why we can't get married, he pressed his lips against mine. He tugged on my hair to get me to respond to the kiss, but I didn't, in spite. When he pulled away there was a small smile on his lips, "I want to make you my wife."

The look on his face made my heart flutter with joy, but no matter what, I knew it could never happen, "Itachi, you know we cannot. This isn't like you-" He responded by biting my lower lip harshly, which hurt. "Ow." I hissed, glaring at him through narrowed eyes. My fingers went up to my lips to see if there was any blood, fortunately there wasn't.

"You don't have a choice, Lucine." His eyes had darkened dangerously now. "Marrying me will also protect you. Sasuke wouldn't be able to touch you if you were married to me, it's a basic Uchiha law and he knows it." his tone left to no room for argument. I really had no choice in the matter, he's serious about all this. _It's not like they're ever going to let me decide for myself, so why bother._

Knowing that dealing with Itachi when he was like was pointless, I decided to go with it for now. "Whatever. Just leave."

With a nod, he turned around and disappearing into the shadows. This left me alone again, at last. Fastening the backpack around my shoulders, I started running towards Suna, expecting to arrive in less than an hour.

 _My life is a mess because of these Uchiha brothers, are they really worth all this trouble?_ I wondered to myself, feeling the low patience I had running out. Then a flashback image of a little Sasuke begging me to play games with him entered my mind, and the image of a young Itachi holding me as I cried. _I guess they are, a little._

* * *

For some reason, I hadn't thought this through at all. Gaara invited me over to Suna, for a reason that I didn't know, and I just went with it. This could be a murder attempt for all I know. He had tried to kill me before back in the past after all. But then again, it would be swifter to just send someone after me, more than one person knows about this mission, which would make it suspicious if I suddenly died. Maybe he intended to keep me as a hostage to declare war on Konoha. Then again, why me, of all people?

Yet here I was waiting in the lounging room for the Kazekage to invite me into his office. It took me less than an hour to arrive in Suna. The guards at the gate questioned me for a bit, but when I told them my name their faces seemed to light up with recognition, as if they had been expecting me. They told me that the Kazekage would be waiting for me in his office, which was in the large, round sandy-colored building in the middle of the village. I noticed that the kanji for "Wind" was painted on the side of the building. All the buildings were different to those in Konoha, because they were round and had a row of windows on the sides. That, and there was sand _everywhere_.

At last a Suna shinobi walked out of the door, probably the one the Kazekage was meeting with, and I took that as my cue to enter. I knocked thrice before entering. I was at first met with nothing, but when I looked around, I saw the redhead himself looking out of a window with his back turned to me. For some reason, a weird, childish part of me pondered on jumpscaring him with a scream, wondering what his reaction would be. Would he scream, attack, or just not react?

Ignoring the uncharacteristic urge, I stepped further into the office and bowed politely, "Kazekage-sama, it is a pleasure." I said stiffly, but still smirked in amusement. I hate formalities, but decided to humor it for now, as he is above her in status after all.

I heard him turn around, and when I stood upright again he was looking at me with an emotion I couldn't quite place. _Nostalgia? Or affection, maybe?_ There was a moment of silence, where we looked into each others eyes. He had grown much taller, much like Naruto. Everything about him was the same as I remembered, except for the eyes. Years ago, they were cold and calculating, but now they were matured and much more welcoming. Yet he kept his face neutral and overall expressionless, much like myself.

My lips formed into a lopsided smirk, "Missed me?"

Gaara let out a breath and stepped forward, so he now stood at arm's length away from me. "Lucine." he said breathily, each syllable sounding smooth and flowing, he then looked uncomfortable as he uttered his next words, "You look... good."

I raised an eyebrow in amusement, but didn't comment on his awkward compliment. My mind then trailed to the moments we had shared in the Chunin Exams. I have shared kisses with this man before me, while he was seemingly much more unstable. _How much have things changed, exactly?_ Slowly, I brushed my bangs behind my ear and looked up at him blankly, I noticed how his eyes followed the movement of my hand, "So, why did you summon me here?" I asked instead, going straight to the point.

He hesitated at that, his eyes diverting to the floor before meeting mine again, "I have a very unusual request for you, Lucine."

"That so?" I asked in disinterest, blinking up at him. I stepped closer, leaning a hand on his chest, and I noted how he stiffened as his breath caught in his throat. "What is it now that you want? Last time it was, as you worded it, 'to see the walls stained by my blood'. but I imagine you've switched hobbies, judging your position as Kazekage."

Gaara furrowed his eyebrows at that, his hand moving up to wrap around the hand that was leaning on his chest casually. "First of all, I want to apologize for my improper behavior in the Chunin Exams." There was honesty in his eyes, which made me tilt my head to the side, now intrigued. _I didn't expect this_. He continued, "I am truly sorry, back then I... I saw you, and I didn't know what to make of what I felt when I saw you. I have never been interested in... well, girls." he blushed as he talked and shifted awkwardly, his hand tightening around mine, "But believe me when I say this, despite expressing it inappropriately, I was genuine. I still am."

"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion, not getting the last bit.

His eyes darkened with an emotion I knew too well, as I had seen it too many times in my short lifetime. The air around us suddenly shifted to something much more intimate, and a shiver ran down my spine as I felt him move closer, one hand on my shoulder while the other had intertwined with my fingers. Without any other warning, his lips were now on mine, and he was kissing me gently and lovingly. _Not much has changed then._ I was going to push him away, but he had already pulled away, although his face remained inches from mine, looking at me with heated teal eyes.

"I'd like it if you were mine, Lucine." he said lowly, moving my hand up to his lips to kiss it softly. I swallowed at his smoldering look, knowing he was serious, and now understanding why he asked for me here. "I'm asking you to marry me."

* * *

 **A/N** : I have no excuse for the late update, other than that I've lost motivation to write this, and I'm sorry. I will finish it though, I want to finish what I started. On a more cheerful note, both Itachi and Gaara has asked for Lucine's hand in marriage. I believe someone won't be happy too happy when he learns of this...


	37. Chapter 37

**Disclaimer** : _I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

 **A/N** : Just me casually updating as if I haven't been gone for months, again.

* * *

 **Uchiha Sasuke**

Seeing her again was like finally quenching a maddening thirst that had been there for years. I hadn't thought it possible, but she had become even more intoxicating. Taller, curvier, and the small breasts she used to have were now a mere memory, now fully blossomed. Yet I was pleased to discover that her eyes remained the same, the same honey shade that I loved so much. They were colder now, looking at me with hate, but I had managed to break her façade when I touched her.

The memory made me smile softly. She had given in so delightfully to my touch, her soft moans only encouraging me. I now knew that with the right... _persuasion_ I could make her give herself to me willingly.

I brought the fabric that she had been wearing when I found her (before I ripped it to shreds) closer to my nose, inhaling it desperately. It still smelt so much like her, the aroma addicting and equally as dangerous. How cruel it had been when that abomination had taken her from me, just when I got her back. I took a shaky breath as I clutched the ripped shirt like a lifeline, my fist trembling slightly. I just got her back, after so long, and then she was _taken_ from me. And I had been helpless, not able to do anything.

In the end I couldn't even leave a scratch on him. Itachi had been right there, so close, but I stood no chance, as I wasn't prepared in the slightest.

A low growl rumbled in my chest at the thought of my repulsive brother. The stab wound he had inflicted on my side still stung, although Karin already healed me.

A loud knock on the door made me look up with anger flashing in my eyes, not appreciating the interruption. "Oy Sasuke, we just got back. It seems like your girl is back in Suna." Suigetsu said from the other side of the door. The tension in my shoulders slackened at the news. I heard a low snicker, and he later said teasingly. "I'm guessing she gave you a bit of trouble, since half of the base is blown to bits."

"Leave." I said coldly without looking up, and seconds later I heard a sigh and the sound of his footsteps walking away.

I rested my head in my hands, while my elbows rested on my knees. There was one nagging thought in the back of mind, one that I had refused to acknowledge simply because part of me feared the answer, of what it would mean and how it would affect the future.

 _Why had Itachi come to save Lucine?_

He hadn't come to kill me. He came and had his blue partner retrieve Lucine, and then he fought me where he had an obvious advantage, my only weapon was my sword. I wasn't even dressed properly. And he wasn't very offensive when we fought, as if he was simply dragging out the fight. Probably to buy time for his blue partner to get away with Lucine. _But why?_ And how had he known that she was with me in the first place?

Absentmindedly, my thoughts drifted back to the weird blue crystal ball with foreign chakra that Lucine carried in her bag. Back then, she had tried to do something with it. I believed it to be some kind of weapon that she intended to use against me, so I destroyed it. When I questioned Lucine about it she refused to answer. Back then I didn't even bother questioning her further and just dismissed it. But maybe, by destroying it, I somehow notified Itachi. There was no other way for him to know. But that means that he must have kept some kind of contact with her, to give her the crystal. And she... she immediately turned to him for help, by using the crystal that he most likely gave her.

I was filled with feverish fury at the implication that Itachi and Lucine have been... involved, somehow, while I've been gone. But it wasn't certain, this might all just be a coincidence. Itachi might have taken her just to spite me. But then why did he release her again? She's in Suna now, which means he either let her go or she escaped.

My fist clenched tightly around the shirt unconsciously, dreading the answer. I felt real, inexplicable panic fill my chest as my heartbeat sped up alarmingly due to the next question that I had been incapable of even thinking about. _Does Lucine... still love him?_

The shirt slipped between my fingers and fell to the floor as my breath hitched. Although I had intentionally suppressed those memories from my consciousness, I can still remember that my brother used to be in a relationship with Lucine, or at least they had... something. I remember seeing them kiss several times when they thought I wasn't watching, and how they used to hold hands, sometimes even in my presence. Just thinking about those painful memories made my heart clench painfully like it used to when I was a child.

"No... no." I said out loud, shaking my head to snap out of it. Lucine might be upset with me right now, but she would never betray me like that. _Ever._

I sighed and brought the fabric back to my nose and inhaled. Having her scent again like this made it so much easier to imagine that she was here with me. My erection twitched eagerly at the familiar fragrance. I closed my eyes and raised my hand into a handseal. Seconds later my senses were clouded with the familiar lull of a genjutsu.

And then Lucine stood before me, clad in a short nightdress, and her wavy hair falling across her shoulders. Now that I had seen her so recently the genjutsu was more realistic, from the sweet smell of her shampoo to the pert, pink nipples that were peeking through her sheer, black nightdress so enticingly. Her face was in its usual blank state, but her eyes were dark and lustful.

"Is that for me?" Genjutsu-Lucine said huskily, gesturing to bulge in the front of my pants.

"Come here." I purred and reached out to grab her arm. She eagerly climbed into my lap, straddling my hips with her long legs. While smiling gently at me, she wrapped her arms around my neck and then kissed me fiercely, her tongue battling against my own. A moan left her lips as she pressed her crotch against my erection and grinded against me, the action sending jolts of pleasure throughout my whole body.

Abruptly, she ended the kiss and looked at me longingly, "I want you in me." she gasped breathily. Pleasant shivers ran down my back at her begging. It really was like having the real Lucine beg me so naughtily. "Please, Sasuke..."

"I know." I murmured as I kissed her neck softly, rubbing circles on her hips. "But we can't." As much as I wanted to have this fake-Lucine, I'd rather wait and have the real one. This was merely to soothe the wait, until I could finally have her.

She whined in frustration, biting my ear harshly as punishment, which made me hiss and bite her neck in retaliation. Even fake-Lucine was feisty and demanding.

Pulling away she looked back into my eyes, her eyes darkening with sinful lust again. "At least let me please you." she suggested heatedly.

Understanding what she wanted, I smirked knowingly, "Hn."

With a seductive smirk, she slowly got down on her knees, never breaking eye contact even as she lowered down my pants to reveal my arousal. Her pretty little mouth wrapped around the head, her tongue circling the tip, making me groan and twist my hand into her hair.

The sound of my grunts and fake-Lucine's moans echoed around the room for the remainder of the day.


	38. Chapter 38

**Disclaimer** **:** I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

 **Kudozaki Lucine**

When I was asked to take this solo-mission, this wasn't exactly what I expected. This has probably been the most ridiculous mission in my life so far. First, I was personally summoned by the Kazekage, then I was kidnapped and assaulted by Sasuke, later I was proposed to by the older Uchiha, then I was proposed to by the Kazekage.

"At least buy me dinner first." I said dryly, watching how Gaara looked at me questioningly.

Obviously not detecting the sarcasm, he tightened his grip on my hand before saying, "You're hungry?"

I sighed and just shook my head. This guy, who I barely even know, just asked me to marry him. I needed to make him understand what he was saying, because he obviously didn't if he made me come all the way over here for this purpose alone. He looked like he was going to ask me something else, but I interrupted him before he could, "Gaara, what's your favorite color?"

He looked a bit startled at the random question, but answered reluctantly, "…I don't think I have one."

Letting my hand slip away from his grip and taking two steps back to create distance, I spoke bluntly, "I didn't know that, because I don't know you. How can I marry someone I don't even know?"

At that I could visibly see his disappointment, looking a bit crestfallen. But I was only speaking truth, I've barely had a normal conversation with him. At least when Itachi proposed, we were already in a relationship, sort of. Which reminds me, I'm not exactly available. But it's not like I can tell Gaara that.

At that he shook his head and looked at me gently, "That's why I invited you here. We can get to know each other during your stay here."

I was not pleased to hear that, but kept my face impassive. Itachi would definitely not approve of my stay here if he knew of Gaara's intentions. Yet it was one of the safest places for me to be right now, considering my Sasuke-problem.

For some inane reason, Naruto's face came to mind, remembering his blue puppy eyes longingly looking into mine. I had told him I wouldn't be away for long, and he wouldn't want me to stay here either. _Wait, why do I care?_

Shaking my head mentally to snap out of it, I quickly dismissed the bizarre thought. Obviously, it's best if I stay here. Sasuke wouldn't dare come for me here, not if I'm constantly around the Kazekage. Gaara I could handle, since we would probably just go on dates and "get to know each other." And Itachi would just have to deal with it, it's for my own safety after all. And as for Naruto- ...

Momentarily, my heart clenched with guilt, which made me scowl mentally and scurry to suppress that inconvenient emotion. Naruto would have to deal with it as well. _Besides, if he's too upset when I get back, I can just make him lots of ramen and allow him to hold me for a bit,_ I reassured myself, ignoring the way I made it sound like I owed him.

"For how long?" I asked nonchalantly.

A pleased smile painted his lips as he answered decidedly, "A month."

I scowled, knowing that if I stayed that long then either Itachi or Naruto, or even Sasuke himself, would come barging here and drag me back. "That's too long. I can stay for a week at most."

He didn't look very happy with that and closed the distance between us once again, which startled me a bit and gave him the chance to wrap his hand around the back of my neck,

"No." he had a firm, strong tone, leaving no room for argument which made me tense. Gaara has been nothing but courteous thus far, ignoring the kiss earlier, but he very clearly won't accept my terms. Maybe staying here is a bad idea after all.

Not one to back down, I looked him straight in the eyes and inched closer, "Don't be greedy. Two weeks, then."

His eyes narrowed as he spoke his next words, "I can accept three weeks, but no less, or I'll make it two months. Remember that, officially, this is your mission. Right now, I can make you stay for as long as I please."

Judging from the serious look in his eyes I sincerely doubted he'd let me leave any sooner than three weeks. Honestly, it was surprising how much he had changed from the time I last saw him. The Gaara I met in the chunin exams would probably have threatened to kill me or anything like that to make me stay, but now, he seemed cool and composed, using mere words as his weapon. Hadn't it been for the circumstance, I would have been quite impressed by his display.

Sighing in defeat, I nodded curtly. "Fine. Three weeks."

Is this even legal? Surely, you can't utilize missions for this purpose alone. Besides, my duty is with my own village, not Suna. Then again, the Kazekage is probably permitted to do as he pleases. The Hokage probably didn't want to risk annoying the Kazekage and thus jeopardizing the friendly relations that the two villages had developed so recently. _Which means my opinion is irrelevant_ , I thought bitterly, but couldn't actually fault Tsunade that much.

His pleased smile was back, whatever darkness that lurked beneath those teal eyes was long gone and he now simply looked like a spoiled kid who got what he wanted. I had the childish urge to glare at him, as if that would change the outcome. _And it's probably not the wisest course of action, I wouldn't want him to make me stay here for three months._

"Good." he said, and then without any other warning he kissed me, a short peck, but long enough for me to register the heat of his lips. This time I did glare at him and was about to explain that he wasn't allowed to touch me like that, but he was faster. "You will be staying at my place." as he said that his face was back to that blank, indifferent look that I was more familiar with.

Kiss instantly forgotten, I perked up, "Why?"

 _I shouldn't have asked_ , was what I thought when I heard his answer. "If we are to be married you should have an idea on what it's like to live with me."

"Great. Will we be sharing a bed and take baths together too?" I snapped, momentarily forgetting his inability to detect sarcasm.

Although his face remained blank, his eyes darkened with a familiar heat, "If you wish it." he said innocently, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

Again, I glared at him, hating his pleased, yet expressionless, look that reminded me so much of myself. _Maybe I should just escape._

He gestured to the door, his hand now resting on my shoulder, "Now, how about that dinner?"

* * *

 **Sabaku no Gaara**

When Lucine told me that she hated going out to eat, explaining that she's never been in a restaurant that has met her standards, I was curious. I didn't expect her to put so much value in something so trivial as food. It was... cute. It also made me realize that she did have point, we barely knew each other. While I would still marry her in a heartbeat, I recognized her need for at least some sort of familiarity between us first. _Temari was right after all_ , I thought with slight disappointment, and made a mental note to ask for more advice later.

Lucine explained that she always cooks her own meals, which she has done since she was eight years old. Mentally, I figured that was sometime after the Uchiha Massacre. I did not know much about her or her association with the Uchiha clan, but I figured that she used to live with Uchiha Sasuke for a reason.

I was genuinely curious to taste her cooking, so I accompanied her to a grocery store to buy ingredients before I showed her my home, and there she could utilize the kitchen.

My place was truly very simple. It was clean and tidy and didn't look like the type of house that anyone even lived in. Mostly due to the fact that I was barely here, sometimes not even to sleep, because my time was for the most part spent in the Kazekage Tower.

So not exactly cozy, but comfortable and practical. Yet it was relatively spacious and more than big enough to fit two or maybe three people. When I told Lucine that we could get a mansion if she wanted when we got married, she didn't give much of a reaction other than a dry look.

Much like when we first met, Lucine was guarded when expressing her emotions. Although I've noted that she does seem more... wary, for a lack of a better word. Before she seemed apathetic to any outcome in her life, but now it seems like she's taking, well, taking her _life_ more seriously.

 _Is this the effect of the departure of that Uchiha?_ I wondered, startled to feel the fierce jealousy course through my system. _Good thing he's gone now, or else I might have had competition._ The question is if he's gone for good. Surely, he won't think to come back for her after leaving her?

I took a seat by the dining table as I watched Lucine cook. When I offered to help her, she refused and instead made me set the table. When I asked why, she claimed to not like assistance in the kitchen, not trusting anyone's competence but her own, which made me smile in amusement. She's certainly arrogant when it comes to her cooking.

At the moment, she was wearing a yellow apron, one that I didn't even know that I owned. But now I'm grateful to have it, since I got to see her in it. Her movements were swift and graceful, and it was obvious that she was in her element. But watching her cook for me, wearing an apron, her hair tied up, her facial expression relaxed but focused... she looked like a housewife. _My_ housewife.

I inhaled deeply, the want that I've kept contained for so long surfacing again. For a second, I let myself believe that we were already married, and was then struck with the overwhelming urge to reach out and wrap my arms around her waist, leaning my face against the crook of her neck and to check for the intoxicating peach scent clinging to her skin. I had never been much of an affectionate person, or that might have been because I had no one to be affectionate with, yet she's brought out a new side of me.

Soon enough the smell of oyakodon drifted through my nose. It's been a while since I last ate homemade food and I couldn't help but feel at least some sort of excitement. The last time I ate homemade food was when I lived with my siblings, but neither of us were particularly skilled and we always hired someone else to cook for us. And now I couldn't be bothered to cook my own meals, as I could so easily just order take-out.

"Don't you have Kage work to do?" she asked casually, not really seeming interested in the answer.

"I'm taking a three-day vacation, including today, to spend time with you." I said softly, a bit distracted by the way she brushed her bangs behind her ear, it brought attention to her long, slender fingers and the wavy locks of her hair. It was shorter than I remembered, no longer reaching her hips but rather her mid-back, and currently tied back into a messy ponytail.

She didn't give much of a reaction other than a low hum, "Only three days?"

The way she phrased it made it sound like a protest, as if she wanted me to stay longer. "Unfortunately, I have duties. It was hard enough to even get a vacation."

"I suppose I'll only see you at night then." she stated, not sounding delighted or disappointed.

"I'll try my best to come before the afternoon." I said, hoping it to be true. The Council showed a bit more understanding when I explained the reason for my temporary absence, as I am about to spend time with a "marriage candidate." Although I already know that she's the only one that I'll accept as a wife, I'll have no one else.

I've never been interested in girls, until the chunin exams where I met Lucine. And these past years, even without seeing her or even hearing from her, she's been on my mind, or more specifically, my dreams.

My trail of thoughts was halted by Lucine placing two bowls of oyakodon on the table. I noted that there were smaller bowls set on the table, which looked like it contained sauce. There was also a jug of some kind of juice. I hadn't even noticed her preparing any of it.

She removed the apron, and took a seat across from me. When she looked into my eyes I noticed a satisfied look on her face, and I decided then that it was my favorite expression on her face.

"Itadakimasu." I murmured, eager to taste her food. It certainly looked appetizing. Lucine followed my example. I blinked after having the first bite, while staring flabbergasted at the meal. "It's... delicious." And even that seemed like an understatement. It was like tasting a piece of heaven. Every flavor was so perfectly in sync and balanced, and he hurried to take another bite.

"Of course." she said blankly, as if it was simply common sense and pointless to point out the obvious. I smiled again, and kept eating.

If she's been making her own meals since she was a kid... that means that she likely used to cook for the Uchiha guy too. It made me wonder how he could be so foolish. The Uchiha lived with her, had her cook for him, and basically had her all to himself every day. Yet he left _voluntarily._

That is, unless he has the intention to take her with him at a later date. Which reminds me... Lucine took much more time than a shinobi usually spends on the travel from Konoha to Suna. What took her so long?

"Did you meet any trouble on your way here?" I asked casually, watching her reaction carefully.

Her chewing halted for a split second and she met my eyes, but other than that her face remained passive. "No." she said smoothly.

For whatever reason, I felt like she was lying. But what I didn't understand was why she would bother to lie. Something must have happened... something that she doesn't want to tell.

* * *

 **Kudozaki Lucine**

As I laid in my temporary new bed, I wondered if Itachi would come visit me today. Probably not, since he never comes when I'm on missions. I sighed and turned on my side, looking out of the window that I could barely see in the darkness.

Gaara has turned out to be, surprisingly, pleasant company. At first, I suspected that he would invade my personal space more often, but other than the kisses he stole at the beginning, and the goodnight kiss he managed to sneakily steal earlier, he's been nothing but gentlemanly and mostly quiet. His intense gazes could be distracting at times, but it wasn't overwhelming, like it was with Itachi. In fact, it was kind of flattering, in a strange way.

As if hearing my thoughts, I felt that familiar breeze softly ruffle my hair, and I looked up to see Itachi standing by the foot of my bed. I was mildly surprised, and just a little concerned, "How did you get in?" He wordlessly held up a familiar object, the blue chakra-crystal, which made me nod. "You can't stay long. The Kazekage is sleeping in the other room."

His eyes darkened at that, and he moved around the bed slowly, sitting on the side of the bed while resting a hand on my thigh. I sat up as well to look him in the eye. "Why are you here?" he asked calmly, but that sentence veiled something dangerous. Itachi could be very jealous, and it was clear that he didn't like my presence in another man's home.

I snorted and shook my head, "It's funny, actually. He wants to marry me." The hand on my thigh immediately tightened painfully, which made me flinch a bit. He didn't let go. "Calm down." I sighed in annoyance.

His eyes narrowed as he leaned closer to my face, grabbing my chin softly, his grasp a stark contrast to the dangerous glint in his dark eyes. "Lucine. Why are you still here if that is his motive?" again he spoke calmly.

I knew I shouldn't be intentionally irking him like this, but I had always enjoyed his jealousy. Itachi was always so composed, seeing his façade crack for a bit was always refreshing. "Well, he is handsome. Don't you think we'd make cute babies?"

In an instant, I was pinned to the bed and he was hovering above me. "Say that again, I dare you." He growled threateningly, his eyes no longer hiding the storm, which made shivers travel down my spine. I admit, I might have taken it too far by that comment.

I wrapped my arms around his neck to pull him closer and gave him a mocking smirk. "You're such an idiot. I'm just messing with you." I revealed, laughing silently. "I'm just here for my safety. Sasuke will never give up on finding me, you know that. Besides, I suppose I'm already your fiancée." Again.

Despite my reassurance, the anger in Itachi's eyes hadn't dissipated one bit. He pressed his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. "The power you have over me can be so daunting. Just the thought of you with another man is enough to make me lose my mind." He said quietly, almost sounding like he was speaking to himself. "But if you ever leave me for someone else, Lucine…" he opened his eyes, and I could see he him activate his Sharingan for the briefest moment, "…I think I'll kill you."

Cold chills ran down my back, and I bit my lip in discomfort, for the first time feeling wary of Itachi. It's not like I had the intention of leaving him, but the thought of him, who was such a pacifist despite his bloody history, driven to the point of killing me for that reason alone… It's not like Itachi at all.

I didn't get the chance to respond, because he had captured my lips in a heated kiss. His hands found their way under the duvet to wrap around my waist. I complied, and let him kiss me as long as he wanted. He seemed to be content with just roaming my mouth freely. Or so I thought, until his hands wrapped around my breasts greedily.

Pulling away slowly, I looked up at him with a smirk. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I have some questions, regarding you and our supposed engagement." I decided to change the subject, not feeling comfortable thinking about Itachi in such a manner. It's best to forget he said it at all.

He looked disappointed that I halted his movements, if the pouting was any indication, but he still obliged and moved to my side to hold me by my waist instead. Without any warning, he bluntly explained, "You do not need to worry about anyone finding out. We will get married through a blood bond."

I blinked, and stared at him for a long time, waiting for him to wait for him to reveal that it was all some sick joke. However, he didn't, and he just stared back with a perfectly blasé expression. "Oh, you're serious." I deadpanned, wanting to kick him out of the bed. "Whatever this "blood bond" thing is, I want no part in it."

He sighed, and brushed a string of hair behind my ear. "It works like normal marriage, just that we will be tied by blood. It was used during the ancient times by the Uchiha to marry someone outside of the Uchiha clan into their clan. The ritual is very sacred, even Sasuke wouldn't dare touch you after."

The entire thing seemed excessive to me, but the last part made me perk up curiously, "How so?"

"In order to prevent infidelity, the bond was made so that if you were to lay with anyone else after initiating the blood bond, you would be cursed with a deadly disease. It goes both ways, so we will remain together for life. As foolish as my little brother is, I know he would never risk your life, nor his own."

The way he explained it all so calmly made me slightly irritated. While I didn't care about the questionable morality of the bond, what worried me the most was Sasuke's reaction. While I didn't want anything to do with Sasuke ever again, if he found out that I made this bond with his brother, he would… he would do something stupid. "Blood bond? Death? Is this truly the only way to get him to stay away?"

"Otouto has reached a point of no return, I'm afraid. I just regret not seeing the signs sooner…" his eyes saddened after that, and at that moment he looked way older than he was, as if he was carrying a big burden on his shoulders.

My heart clenched painfully at that, not liking that look one bit, and especially not liking that I didn't know the cause of it. "That brings me to my point. You are a man of many secrets, Itachi, and I refuse to marry you if you don't tell me what you're hiding."

He doesn't look very surprised at my ultimatum, but he gave me one of those sad looks again, which only annoyed me more. "I agree, you deserve better than that." He said warmly, kissing the side of my head affectionately. Hadn't I been so surprised that he gave in so easily, I would have moved away from the kiss. "I was planning on telling you one thing today. As a start."

"Really?" I asked in disbelief, and turned to my side so I was facing him now as well. The change of position made him move his hand to my hip to rest there comfortably.

He nodded, but then shifted a bit. His face remained indifferent, but by the subtle furrowing of his eyebrows, I knew he was dreading my reaction to whatever secret he was about to bestow upon me. It was quiet for a while, me waiting for him to finally speak out this terrible secret that he couldn't tell anyone. What he said, I would never have predicted.

"I am dying, Lucine." He said calmly, looking directly into my eyes with a sorrowful look.

My eyes visibly widened, and the new type of fear that started welling up in my chest and abdomen was both foreign and discomforting. I was almost too afraid to ask, "What do you mean by that?"

Itachi continued, "I developed a lung disease about two years ago, and it is only getting worse. I don't know how much time I have left, but I predict two years at most."

* * *

 **A/N** : This was originally going to be two separate chapters. But in the end, I decided to make it one big chapter, as an apology for all these delayed updates. I'll try to do better.

No Sasuke in this chapter, but he will be in the next. I will write Lucine's time with Gaara in regulated timeskips, and instead include the events that are the most significant. I have big plans for Gaara, as well as Itachi, which is why this chapter and the next are necessary.

And I also really like Gaara, and couldn't help adding him to Lucine's harem. Naruto is way too cute to not include as well, which is why he has a minor role, but a surprisingly big influence on Lucine (as implied in this chapter).

As for Itachi's illness, not much is known in canon about what kind of illness he has. But judging from his symptoms, I'm guessing tuberculosis, which is probably what I'll be going for in this fanfiction.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I would really appreciate it if you left a review.


	39. Chapter 39

**Disclaimer** **:** I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

 **Uchiha Sasuke**

The peaceful silence was disturbed by the silvery voice of genjutsu-Lucine. "Sasuke?" I opened one of my eyes to look down at her. Her bare body was wrapped around mine, hugging my waist gently as she rested her head on my chest.

"Hn?" I grunted as response, gently scraping my nails against her scalp, her soft hair tangling around my hand. Lucine had always enjoyed that when we were kids.

"Would you kill me?"

In surprise, both of my eyes snapped open, and I sat up to look down at her properly. She sat up too, now on her knees as she looked up at me innocently. "How can you ask me something like that?" She didn't answer, her gaze leveled and aloof, a realistic impression of the real Lucine. This genjutsu worked in strange ways. I had conjured the illusion myself, and I created Lucine in such a way that she responded to all of my desires while she had complete access to my mind. But she still had her own free will and could therefore act in surprising and unpredictable ways, much like my real love. "I would never. Killing you would kill me as well." I answered truthfully, laying back down on bed with my arms crossed behind my head. I gestured for her to lay back on top of me, which she ignored much to my annoyance.

Apparently, she wasn't done with her questioning. "What if I betrayed you? What if I slept with another man?"

The reaction was instantaneous, I pinned her to the bed and grasped her chin roughly. "I would kill that man." I seethed, the thought enough to make me go crazy with fury. "You are _mine_."

Genjutsu-Lucine didn't seem the least bit shaken, her face a perfect image of controlled composure. "And what about me? What would you do to me?"

At the feel of her bare breasts pressed against my torso, my thoughts wandered elsewhere, and it was becoming increasingly harder to focus on our conversation when all I wanted was to ravage her. "I can show you what I would do to you, since you're so curious." In a second, I had captured her lips with mine, making a path with my tongue, but before I could go any further, she had harshly bitten down on my lower lip. I immediately pulled away in shock, eyeing the defiant but playful glint in her eye. It reminded me of the time I had last been with the real her, and how she had bitten my lip just like now. The memory of that time was enough to make me fully erect, and I grinned predatorily down at her, "You dare defy me?"

"That was merely self-defense." She answered blankly, and wrapped her arms around my neck. I thought she was going to kiss me, but once again she surprised me, "I wasn't done with my questions. What would you do if I loved another man? Would you kill me then?" she asked it all so casually, as if asking about the weather or the time. I was growing impatient, not to mention increasingly angry at her provoking questions.

"I'll kill you if you don't kiss me now." I growled, harshly grabbing the back of her head to pull her into another angry kiss. In order to prevent her from biting me, I grabbed her jaw. She reciprocated this time, tangling her tongue with mine and mewling in pleasure when one of my hands found their way between her legs. Whatever rebelling she had planned was seemingly forgotten as soon as I inserted two fingers inside of her, which made me smirk in triumph.

It was a ridiculous question, and I didn't understand why the genjutsu would make her ask me that. Lucine could never love another man, her entire being belongs to me. Every cell in her body, every drop of blood, every strand of hair on her head, all of it is mine, mine, _mine_. For her to love anyone other than me would be going against nature itself.

* * *

 **Kudozaki Lucine**

My entire body had gone cold at his announcement. I was speechless, not having the slightest clue on how to respond to that. Or rather, not wanting to. I just wanted it all to be a bad dream, for him to do that annoying smile he does, and poke my forehead while saying he was simply joking. But somehow, I already knew that he was telling the truth, and the realization made me aware of the rage building up within me. In order to maintain a calm composure, I had to close my eyes and breathe slowly.

"And you tell me now?" I seethed, wringing myself out of his grasp, he looked hurt when I did that, which made me momentarily feel guilty.

He sighed, but completely skipped my question. "Don't worry, the blood bond won't endanger you even if I die, at least not physically. And Sasuke still won't be able to touch you after my death, since the bond will last for the rest of your life. You also won't be able to be with anyone el–" Instead of letting him finish, I slapped him harshly. He barely flinched, just closed his eyes and stopped talking.

"I don't care about any of that, you idiot. If you die, then– then what's even the point for me anymore? I'd be–…" _Alone_. Shaking my head mentally to snap out of that moment of self-pity, I turned a frigid look back at him. "You think I'll marry you after what you just told me?" I glared at him, feeling the quiet rage simmer under my skin. _Itachi can't die. He_ _ **can't**_ _. I wouldn't bear it._ "What is your ailment? What's the cure?" I asked immediately, getting out of bed and pacing the floor. "I'm not a medic, but we could find one. Tsunade is the best medical nin in the world, but as the Hokage she would never heal a missing-nin…" I thought out loud as I paced back and forth, not registering Itachi getting out of bed as well.

"Lucine." He said calmly, but I dismissed it in order to keep thinking of solutions.

"Sakura is her pupil, and I know she's been improving a lot these two years, close to surpassing even Shizune–"

"Lucine." I heard him say my name again, which made me send a quick glare his way.

"Don't interrupt me while I'm thinking." I barked at him, turning back to my thoughts. _There had to be a way to save him_. "Sakura is our best shot at this moment, maybe if I ask her as my teammate… No, she wouldn't heal a traitor either, I'd have to threaten her–"

"Lucine, listen to me." He said more sternly this time, now grasping both of my shoulders to prevent me from moving.

"Why aren't you taking this seriously?" I snapped, trying to shake off his hands, but he wouldn't let me go. "We have to try everything, I refuse to let you die– "

"I want to die." He interjected, a cool, neutral look on his face, and it made every single drop of blood in my body freeze. But if he wants to die, then that means –

"You would dare abandon me like your brother did?" I growled dangerously, nothing holding back my relentless anger and the outrage of it all. Using all my strength, I pushed him, and while it was enough for him to let me go, he didn't even stumble backwards. Not even the wounded look on his face was enough to calm my anger. When he didn't answer I pushed him harshly again, which urged him to speak.

"It's what I deserve, for all I've done. I killed my clan, ruining Sasuke's childhood forever. I even made you hate me. Sasuke has turned into something I can't recognize anymore, and it's entirely my fault. In order to repent for all my sins, I must die." He explained monotonously, looking like he truly meant each word, and I felt the dread increase for each word, hardly believing that this was my Itachi. I couldn't even respond, left speechless yet again at the idea of him thinking he 'deserved to die,' and he seemed to register that, judging from the defeated look on his face. "You wouldn't understand. There are still so many things you don't know."

"You're right, I don't. But I do know that I won't let you die. _Never_." I said determinedly, meaning every word. Despite my determination to keep him alive no matter the cost, I don't think I've never hated him as much as I did in this moment.

He stepped forwards, holding my hand in his. "It's already too late to save me."

"So you're just going to give up? Have you even been trying to look for a cure? Or better yet, do you even _know_ what you're afflicted with?"

Itachi merely looked on with saddened eyes, as if I was the one in need of saving. My words didn't seem to get through to him at all. "Let's just enjoy the time we have left. I'd like to leave you with a part of me. I want to have a baby with you."

" _A_ _baby_?! Oh my God, you intend to impregnate me and then desert your own child?! You are– you–… I-I can't believe you." My voice shook at the end as I struggled to gather my feelings who were in turmoil. Not familiar with these uncontrollable emotions, I felt my knees weaken pathetically, which made Itachi lead me back to the bed so I could sit.

"I wish things could have been different, you deserve better." He said softly, rubbing circles on my back. I didn't even attempt to push him away. I wasn't even angry anymore. Now I was just filled with disbelief and horror. As if encouraged by my silence, Itachi sat next to me while gently petting my hair. "I already knew this was going to happen. This is my destiny. If this illness won't kill me, then Sasuke will." He explained it all smoothly, almost sounding serene. I kept my gaze on the floor lifelessly, the lump in my throat seemingly not wanting to go away. Itachi kept going. "Sasuke will kill me when he is strong enough. That is our fate, and nothing can change it, not even you, my love." He answered determinedly. "Please accept this, Lucine. The last thing I want is to hurt you." He kept talking, kissing the side of my head now and then, but at this point, whatever he said was just like background noise.

There was no way to change his mind. He was truly convinced that the only way to pay for what he's done is by death, and I had no chance of getting through to him with logical reason alone. In order to convince him, I'll have to resort to more drastic measures. I slowly looked up at him, my expression aloof and indifferent so as to not reveal what I was thinking while he was still trying to explain to me why he had to die. _It seems that there is only one way then._

"No." I said, calmly this time. He stopped then, looking at me questioningly. "You don't get to make that call." I voiced in the same tone, and stood up again. Taking a few steady steps forwards, but keeping my back to him, I uttered in an unwavering voice, "It seems that I'll have to force you."

I could hear him stand up from the bed, but I lifted my hand to halt him from walking up to me. Sighing, I resolved to the decision I had made. "If you refuse to cure yourself, to be healthy again, I won't marry you." I asserted quietly, still not facing him.

I heard him breathe in sharply, but it was obviously not enough for him. "I have no qualms about forcing you if it's for your safety, Lucine. Sasuke is still a danger to you."

"Yes, I know what you are capable of. But it seems you are unaware of what _I'm_ capable of." I quipped dispassionately. I sensed that he was about to respond to that, but I didn't let him. Instead I turned around and faced him properly, looking at him in the eyes with a detached look. "I'll marry Gaara."

It was deathly quiet for a moment. Not even the sound of our breathing was audible. The expression on his face changed first, to shock, only to quickly morph into fury. He had me pinned to the wall in the span of a split second, but I didn't flinch, already expecting this reaction from him. Itachi breathed shakily, his hands on my throat, and through his teeth he seethed, "I dare you to say that again."

Not missing a beat, I repeated my words calmly. "I'll marry Gaara." The hands around my throat tightened, and I knew that if he didn't let go soon, I'd have bruises there. "Or, you can just kill me now. Be done with it all. You said it yourself, you'll kill me if you see me with another man."

He almost looked insane now, his eyes were crimson, his beautiful features twisted with wrath and jealousy. His hands shook against my throat. "You are a cruel woman." He said at last, the calmness of his voice betraying the ferocity of his eyes.

"Am I? I'm doing this for you, after all." I said mockingly, struggling to express myself properly since I could barely breathe, his fingers pressed against my windpipe. Smirking, I brought my hands upwards to rest upon his own hands gently. "What will it be, Itachi? You can live happily with me, or die with the knowledge that I'll be married to Gaara. Wait, actually… maybe I'll choose the latter regardless of what you do. I'll be the Kazekage's lady after all, I'll be– ugh." My breath was completely restricted now, which made me flinch at the sudden lack of air.

His Sharingan spun in angry circles as he glared down at me, and for a second, I thought that he was truly going to kill me. My feet were no longer touching the floor and I could see black spots in the corners of my vision, yet I didn't feel alarmed. In fact, it felt peaceful. _Maybe dying by Itachi's hand won't be so bad._

The moment ended when he let me down on the floor again and softened his grip on me. I coughed a few times as I held my throat and gasped for air, but calmed down quickly to look at him. He doubtlessly looked defeated now, and I believe I've never seen so much emotion on his face, aside from when he's jealous or angry. That was when I knew that I had won, and I smirked in triumph.

"I'll try." He said lowly, looking down at the floor. "Give me some time to find someone to heal me. Just _don't_ marry him." He said the last part more intensely, a desperate, begging look in his eyes. Hadn't it been for the circumstances, I'd almost feel sorry for him.

"Don't come back until you're in good condition again. I'll know if you're not." I said finally, and then stretched my arms while yawning quietly. It was a drastic measure, almost desperate, but if marrying Sabaku no Gaara was the only way to get Itachi to listen to me, then so be it. I could live with that. Besides, hadn't it been for my situation, I could see myself being with someone like Gaara anyway.

"Hn." Itachi grunted, not looking my way.

I resisted a smirk at his childish behavior. "You better leave. I'm tired and I have to attend to my potential husband tomorrow." I teased while making my way to bed. When I was curled up on my pillow and under my duvet, I looked up at him, but he was already gone.


End file.
